


ain't my blood; still my boys

by parkrstark



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Avengers Family, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Dissociation, Flashbacks, Foster Care, Gen, Harley Keener & Peter Parker are Siblings, Hospitals, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jealousy, M/M, Maria Stark and Sarah Rogers are Best Friends, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Past Rape/Non-con, Protective Harley Keener, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Underage Drinking, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:15:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 74,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29214021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: When Tony made an off-hand comment about adopting a child, he never expected Steve would jump on the idea so quickly. He definitely didn't expect to adopttwo kids. And even if they did expect to love them dearly, they weren't ready for the fierce protectiveness that raged within them for their boys. They couldn't save them from the past, but they could protect them from the future and whatever dared to threaten their safety.Through fostering Harley and Peter, Steve and Tony learn a lot from them, who have experienced more than any child ever should. But they have something to teach the boys themselves: family doesn't end in blood.(Instant Family AU)
Relationships: Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Harley Keener & Cooper Barton, Harley Keener & Peter Parker, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Steve Rogers, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Howard Stark/Maria Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Comments: 632
Kudos: 814





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So soon I have my next project up! This one is inspired by the movie Instant Family and uses some direct quotes/scenes from the movie, but is not the exact plot of this story. I've changed it up, so if you've seen the movie already, then you can expect new things while reading this!
> 
> This story depicts ONE story of foster care, and not all. There are much better stories than Harley and Peter's; there are much worse stories. This story does contain many potentially triggering topics, so please read the tags and be careful. I will handle topics with extreme care and sensitivity, but if you think it will be too much, I'd consider sitting this one out. Nothing will be graphic, but it is all important to the plot. I will list warnings before specific chapters when it comes time. 
> 
> Title is from the song: My Boy by Elvie Shane. Please give it a listen. You'll fall in love.

Steve and Tony were always on time-- well... _most_ times they were on time. Unless one of them initiated... _something_ before they were leaving.

But that had only been once because when they walked into family dinner late, and Tony couldn't hide his new hickey. Their family gave them shit for it all night. 

And to clarify, their family wasn't their blood family. No one at the table really had much family left besides each other. 

Natasha and Bucky were usually on time because Bucky was never late to anything. Especially after his time in the military. 

Wanda and Vision weren't late, even with Wanda seven months pregnant with twins. 

Clint and Laura were most always late, until they just started hosting their weekly dinner at their house instead of changing every week. It was much easier than trying to get his three kids ready and out of the house. 

Their single friends: Rhodey and Sam were there earlier than asked, usually to help with food or setting the table. 

Tonight though, it was Steve and Tony that were late. The first time in months, let it be known. 

"They're gonna have our asses for this," Tony whispered as he got to the door. 

Steve rolled his eyes as he shifted the cupcakes he baked from one hand to the other. They had dessert, just like they usually always did. Everyone loved Steve’s baking. "Just don't look anyone in the eyes. Maybe they'll see I made cupcakes and forgive us." 

"Let's hope, babe," Tony said before opening the door and stepping inside. Steve followed after. 

The living room was like a minefield of toys as they avoided breaking any. Nathaniel loved crawling ever since he learned and left a trail behind him. 

"Look who finally arrived," Sam announced as they walked into the dining room. 

"Probably sucking each other's faces off in the car and lost track of the time," Rhodey added with a chuckle. 

"That's not the only thing we were sucking," Tony said a little too loud. 

Steve felt his cheeks burn red as he walked back into the dining room after dropping the cupcakes in the kitchen.

"Oh, come on Tony!" Rhodey yelled as he failed to contain a laugh. "There's children here!"

"The children are either too young to understand my words," Tony said, motioning to Nathaniel. "Or they're old enough to know all about it already." 

"Please do not say that about my daughter," Clint begged. 

"Just sit down so we can eat before it gets cold," Natasha ordered and everyone always followed her orders.

Steve pulled out Tony's chair for him and waited for him to sit before taking his own seat. "Smells delicious." 

"Stop trying to distract us from the fact that you were both late," Wanda said, waving her finger. 

"I was running late at work. Sorry," Tony apologized. He slid his hand under the table and placed it on Steve’s thigh. 

Steve slipped his hand under as well and grabbed his hand to intertwine their fingers. "We get a free pass. You guys are late all the time." 

"We've got kids," Clint argued. "You don't. Get your own kids and then maybe we'll consider your tardiness." 

"Can we talk 'bout something else?" Bucky asked gruffly. His knuckles were white against the beer bottle in his hand. Natasha had only a glass of water. 

"You two trying again?" Steve asked, softly. 

Natasha nodded her head and Steve’s heart broke for her. They had been trying for over a year now to get pregnant with no luck. 

"We're trying IVF," Bucky explained with a sigh. "Shots and everything." 

"Have you thought about surrogacy or adoption?" Wanda suggested. "My brother and his husband had a surrogate for their child." 

"Maybe if it doesn't work out," Natasha said, though her face was tight. 

Clint was her best friend, even before Bucky, so he knew her like the back of his hand, and he knew when she needed backup. So he clapped Steve on the back and said, "What about you two?" 

Steve hated being the center of attention. Because Tony was _his_ best friend, he knew this. So he answered instead. "What about us, feathers?" 

"When are you two trying surrogacy?" Clint asked as casual as if he was asking Tony how work was. 

"Why would we be trying surrogacy?" Tony asked, sounding genuinely confused at the idea. Steve tried to ignore how that made him feel because it wasn’t a good feeling. 

"Because you've been together the longest out of all of us. And no kiddos." Clint shrugged his shoulders. "Almost 20 years together and nothing." 

Steve smiled. They had been together since sophomore year of high school. They married after college. He had loved every single second of it, but he'd be lying if he said sometimes he didn't think of raising kids with Tony. 

They had talked about before-- well, Steve had mentioned it and Tony had brushed it off. Not that he minded. He knew going into this that Tony didn't want kids because of some incredibly inaccurate idea that he would be the same man his father was. Sure, Steve wanted to be a father and he thought Tony would be a wonderful father, but it wasn't a deal breaker. He married Tony for Tony, and only Tony. 

"Well, we've tried," Tony joked. "Every night. Endless hours spent trying to conceive. Nothing's stuck quite yet." 

The rest of the table laughed, and Steve chuckled with them.

"You'd make good parents," Wanda said with a little smile. "Very good parents."

"Of course we would. We're perfect. But we're never having children," Tony said, turning back to the food around them. "Now can someone pass me the chicken? I'm starved." 

* * *

"You're distracted," Tony said softly from across the table. 

Steve knew he was, but he was trying to not make it too obvious. "Sorry." 

"It's alright. What's on your mind?" Tony was giving him his full attention, just like he always did. 

Steve shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to bring it up because he already knew the answer. 

"Is this about the conversation we had at family dinner last night?" Tony sighed. "The whole-- little gremlin conversation." 

Steve pouted, swirling his wine in his glass. "I guess hearing you say we're never having children just made it sink in." 

"I'm sorry, were you under the impression that we'd be popping out a little one any time soon?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I know you weren't big on science back in school, but you do know the basics of biology, right--?" 

"Tony. I'm being serious." 

"Alright. Serious conversation. Got it," Tony said. 

"Is it true? That we'll never have children?" Steve stared down at his plate, furrowing his brow. "I've brought it up in the past, but you always said it wasn't the right time or some other excuse…" 

"Well, we were always so broke, and then we struggled to get the AutoShop off the ground. But now...we're good. We're _great."_ Steve brightened, hoping Tony would too. "We've got the house and you're the best mechanic in a 10 town radius." 

"So what? _Now_ you're ready?" Tony asked incredulously, voice low. 

"I think...I mean, maybe. Yeah. I am. And I know you are too. We're not kids anymore." Steve straightened the napkin on his lap. 

"No need to remind me. If we were to have a child, by the time they're in high school I'll be a grandpa to them." He gestured to his hair. "I've already got grays."

"Come on now," Steve said, shaking his head. "You're not that old." 

"I'm nearing 35," Tony said. 

"We have almost 3 years until we're 35." Steve rolled his eyes. 

"So then why don't we just adopt a 5-year-old now? That way by the time we're 35, they'll be 8 and then they'll be a teenager in, what, 5 years? Then we'll only be 40." 

"Why are you so obsessed with how old you'll be?" Steve frowned. "Nat and Bucky are older than us and they're still trying." 

"They've been trying for the longest time. They...they've discussed this, Steve." Tony sighed. "We...we are not them." 

Steve knew his tone should be discouraging, but it wasn't. Tony wasn't completely against the idea of kids...especially if he wouldn't be old when they were growing, and Steve didn't need to be convinced. 

Funny how one conversation bit him with a bug that gave him a longing for something he thought he'd never have. 

Steve had baby fever and he had it _bad._

* * *

"What's wrong?" 

"Whaddya mean?" Tony asked, checking the engine of the Chevy truck they were working on. 

"You've been quiet all day," Rhodey noted. "Did something happen?" 

"Why do you assume something happened because I'm quiet? Can't I just have a peaceful day?" Tony huffed, trying to avoid Rhodey's gaze. 

"I've been your best friend since we were freshmen in college. Only other person that knows you better than me is your mother and Steve." He paused as if Tony was going to answer him right away. "Talk to me, man."

Tony fiddled with the wrench in his hand for a moment before taking a step back. Sighing, he said, "My Dad was a prick." 

Tony rarely, if ever, spoke about his father. So when he did, it was important. Rhodey knew that. He put down the rag he was holding, no matter how insignificant it was, and gave Tony his full attention. "Of course, he was. I know, Tony." 

"What's stopping me from becoming exactly the same man he was?" 

"Because you're not him. Because you acknowledge the things he did were wrong, and you've learned." Rhodey took a side step around the nearest toolbox and stopped in front of Tony. "Just because he was a bad person doesn't mean you have to be." 

"But...but how do you know? I mean-- I've never really been what he is-- so if I...if this were to even happen, how do I know I won't be just like him?" Tony asked desperately, hoping Rhodey would have an answer for him like always. 

"You lost me. If _what_ were to happen?" 

"Dad. Me being one. A dad." Tony failed to cross his arms over his chest a few times before he was comfortable. 

Realization dawned on Rhodey's face. "Wait. Are you and Steve debating kids?" 

"Not really. He brought it up and I said I was too old. Then it was over." Tony sniffed, looking anywhere but Rhodey. 

"Too old? Tony, you're 32." 

"And by the time the kid is here I'm like 42." 

"How long do you think pregnancy lasts?" 

"That's besides the point. The point is that Steve wants a kid, and I can't trust myself to be a _good dad."_ Tony took a seat in the nearest makeshift chair which was just an upside down milkcrate. 

Rhodey took a seat next to him. "Steve's been married to you for over a decade now. He's happy with no kids… but you'd both be happy with kids too. You should have a real conversation with him about it."

"And tell him what?" Tony scoffed.

"That you're scared. You don't want to be your father. He'll understand. Tell him the truth and go from there."

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

* * *

"Hey, love, I'm home!" Tony called as he walked into their home. Tony knew that Steve had dinner ready because he could smell something delicious from the kitchen. 

But there was no answer from him. 

"Steve?" He tried again, glancing around the living room. The lights were all off, and Steve wasn't around. 

It wasn't until the kitchen that he saw him standing at the kitchen island with his laptop open. His eyes were sad as he stared down at whatever was on the screen. 

"Babe, I was calling you," Tony said, curious to see what was making Steve so despondent. 

"Sorry, I was just...looking at something." Steve didn't move to show him his laptop. 

"You okay?" Tony asked, though he already knew the answer. 

"Remember when you said that thing the other day?" Steve asked, looking up at him finally. 

Chuckling, Tony replied, "I say _a lot_ of things, babe. You'll have to be more specific." 

Steve's next answer was much more direct. His eyes were brighter too...with hope. "The thing about adopting a five-year-old." 

Tony should have been ready for this conversation, and he was. Really. He practiced his side of the conversation during the car ride home. But now, he was panicking. 

So he did what he did best when panicking. He denied everything in hopes that the problem would go away. 

"What? Did I say that?" 

Steve frowned. "Yes." 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Tony said, "I mean, if I did say something like that, it was just a joke. That seems like something I'd joke about." 

Steve's frown deepened and somewhere, Rhodey was _screaming_ at him to talk. "You'd joke about us being fathers?" 

"Well, I mean...have you met us, babe?" Tony said, gesturing to their kitchen. This wasn't a home for children with Crystal and alcohol within reach. Their date nights would also take a backseat until they were nonexistent. 

"I have met us and I think we'd make _wonderful_ parents." Steve turned his laptop around. "Which is why I was already looking into this adoption agency." 

Tony made the mistake of looking down at the screen. There were profiles of children staring right back at him. Sad, parentless children. Still, they were better off with nothing than having _him_ as a father. 

"There are so many kids in foster care without a family. They move from home to home. They don't have anyone." Steve was giving him puppy eyes that Tony was pointedly ignoring. Those were dangerous. 

"Steve, it takes a _special_ couple to adopt a foster kid," Tony sighed. 

"And we're not special?" 

"We're not equipped to take in a child," Tony said instead, his voice a little too firm. 

Steve stiffened and shut his laptop shut harder than necessary. "I'm sorry you don't think we're special enough to be fathers. I'm sorry for trying to have a conversation." 

Tony knew he fucked up when Steve stood up swiftly and turned around, walking out of the kitchen. "Steve, wait--." 

"I'm heading to bed. I've got a headache." 

Tony watched his back as he disappeared down the hall and then stared at the two full plates on the dinner table. "What about dinner, babe?" 

"You can have it. I'm not hungry." Then Steve was slamming the bedroom door shut. It wasn't too loud, but it had a little more force than usual to it. 

Tony sighed, wondering how that went so wrong. "Yeah, Rhodey," he muttered. "Just talk to him. It'll be so easy." 

It should have been easy. He should have said: _Steve, I'm terrified of becoming my father._ But he couldn't get the words out because even after 20 years being together, Tony struggled with basic human emotions. 

He glanced over at the laptop and pulled it closer, despite everything in him telling him _no!_ "What are you doing, Tony?" He muttered to himself as he opened the screen. 

The universe gave him a second chance to avoid instant heartbreak when the lock screen came up. Tony hesitated with his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He stared at the picture Steve had set as his background; it was Steve and Tony holding each other close for a selfie during their trip to Italy last summer. 

Surely, those vacations wouldn't be as frequent when they had a kid. Steve and Tony were so happy to be together, just the two of them. Why should they try to change a perfect life?

And then Tony's mind did something horrible and answered that concern. He pictured what it would be like to have a different picture as the background: the same pose but between them, a baby-- _their baby--_ was held close. 

He typed the password in with that thought still in his head. The website filled the screen immediately and Tony scrolled through looking at pictures of children with a small biography written underneath. 

They ranged from toddlers to kids to teenagers with one goal: to find a family to love them. 

_I want a dad to have a catch with._

_All I need is someone to tuck me in at night._

_I love giving big hugs and kisses._

_I just need someone to be proud of me._

Tony didn't even realize he was getting so emotional until his vision became too blurry to read the rest of them. He wiped at his face and tried to take a steadying breath. 

"We're special enough to give one of these kids a home." 

Tony turned around to see Steve standing in the doorway, watching him. He had that look on his face he usually did whenever Steve was right about something. Which was very common. 

Wiping away any runaway tears, Tony said, "You cheated. Only a monster could look at that and say no." 

Steve smiled as he walked closer and pulled Tony in for a hug. For a moment, Tony relished the feeling of being held against Steve's chest. 

"What if I screw up? What if I'm a horrible dad?" Tony whispered as he placed a hand over Steve's heart, curling his fingers into his shirt. 

"We _will_ screw up. There's no doubt about that. No one is perfect. Not one set of parents makes _no_ mistakes," Steve said matter of factly. "But you won't be a horrible father. You're too good of a man." 

"You don't know that…" Tony's voice was shaky. 

"I do. Why would you think you'd be a horrible father?" Steve started to rub his back softly. 

"I don't have the best of role models," Tony admitted, hoping that was enough for Steve to understand. 

Steve hummed and the vibration against his cheek comforted Tony. "You're not Howard." 

Of course, he knew. "You don't know that." 

"I do. You're my best friend and I know you better than you know yourself." Steve kissed the top of his head. 

Tony looked up at him, keeping his head pressed against his chest. "You really think I'll make a good dad?" 

"Of course." 

Tony smiled, finding Steve's hand to hold in his. "Then let's do this, babe. Let's have us a baby." 

The smile that graced Steve's face was worth whatever trouble this idea of fostering got them into. Making Steve happy would always be worth any consequences. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed the beginning so far! Please let me know what you think below.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you for such the positive reaction to the first chapter! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story. I am so exctied to share it with all of you. 
> 
> Warnings: mentions of CSA (child sexual abuse), child abuse, child neglect, and Skip.

"There are over a half million children in foster care. The system is overloaded. It doesn't need any more kids; so for a child to be removed conditions have to be pretty...bleak. Usually involving abuse or extreme neglect." 

Steve glanced around the room where a dozen other couples were sitting in the audience of the two foster care workers. 

He wondered if they were all just as nervous as he and Tony were. 

"Unfortunately, my partner here is right. These children often languish in the system unless a wonderful family like you is willing to step in." The shorter man seemed more approachable than the other man as he smiled at the crowd. 

"Now that we covered the most important fact, I'll introduce myself. I'm Nicholas Fury. My partner is Phil Coulson. Together, we'll be taking you all through an 8 week foster parenting course." His eyes scanned the crowd, as if trying to decide which ones were special enough to continue. 

Phil continued smoothly with a smile, "Once you have your certification, we can pair you up with some foster children until they become adoptable." 

Steve grabbed Tony's hand, thinking about the day they could bring a foster kid of their own home. The excitement just continued to build and build every time he thought about their future with a child.

Of course, the tougher of the two couldn't let it go without a warning. "Let us make this clear though, folks. It will not be easy. These children will test your will, put a strain on your relationship, and push buttons you didn't even know you had. I can already tell all of you won't make it out of this alive." 

Tony squeezed Steve's hand reassuringly. That warning didn't worry him. He and Tony were strong enough to handle this. 

"Oh, come on," Phil said, smacking Nick on the arm. "I believe in them. Look at all these brave faces! Why don't we start putting names to faces? Let's introduce ourselves and share what kind of children we're looking for." 

Other couples took their turn effortlessly, but when it came to Tony and Steve's turn, of course, it couldn't be that easy. 

Steve smiled as he stood up, tugging Tony up with him. "I'm Steve and this is my husband, Tony."

All they had to do was say:  _ we're looking for a child of any race, preferably 5 years-old to love and call our own.  _ They had six couples ahead of them to copy, and still, Tony had to stick his foot right in his mouth. 

"Yeah, uh, I'm not too sure about all of this," he admitted and Steve looked at him with wide eyes. "I mean. I get it. As a kid, my family adopted a dog and we loved him like crazy." 

Steve kicked his shin gently and muttered, "Don't compare kids to dogs, Tony." 

"I'm not!" Tony amended quickly. "I'm just saying that there used to be a stigma around getting a dog from the pound. But now everyone wants one. Adopt, not shop." 

Steve felt his face burning red as he tried to shut Tony up. "Tony. Stop. Please." 

Of course, he dug his hole deeper. "Now everyone wants a rescue dog from the pound--." 

"Don't say dog, don't say pound." Steve could feel the judge-y looks from the couples around them. 

"No, you're missing-- I'm just saying this is scary for all of us. But maybe...if you just call them rescue kids instead of foster kids--." 

"Oh, my God." 

"--then people will be more eager to sign up for these classes." 

"Tony! Tony! Tony!" Steve said repeatedly until  _ finally,  _ he shut his mouth. 

"Are you done?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow above the one eye he had left. The other was hidden behind an eye patch. 

"Yes," Tony said, not half as mortified as he should be. Was this one of his jokes? Steve really couldn’t tell.

Steve tugged him down to sit in their seats before they even talked about the child they wanted. He covered his face, trying to avoid everyone's stares. 

"Well, on that note…" Phil said, "We have a guest speaker that would like to share her story...Ellie Phimister." 

A young woman, not much older than a teenager walked to the front of the room. Her hair was buzzed, she wore dark eye shadow and darker lipstick, and she had a few piercings up her ear. "Hey," she started, and Steve wasn't sure how many times she had to make speeches like this, but he could tell she was still just a kid up there. 

She was smiling as she continued, despite the gravity of her words. "So when I was 8-years-old, my mom and her boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to build a meth lab in our garage." 

There was no murmuring as she spoke, but after those words were spoken, the room seemed to grow even quieter. 

"They made me deliver drugs for them. They'd abuse me physically, and sometimes, their customers abused me sexually." 

Steve felt sick. That baby was just that-- a baby. How could anyone hurt a child? How could anyone let someone else hurt their child? 

"When I was, uh, 11, our garage blew up." She made an explosion motion with her hands. "I was thrown into the system and bounced around from one placement to the next. Pretty soon, I was 14 and I knew nobody wanted a teenager. I was getting ready to age out…" 

Steve didn't know this girl, but he knew she was tough. So when she got choked up through the next part of her speech, Steve felt a chill. 

"But the thing is, over half of the kids who age out of foster care end up homeless, addicted, incarcerated or dead within two years." She let out a shaky breath. "I knew that. I was getting ready for that to  _ be me. _ I was going to be an adult in this big, scary world with no family to help me pick a college, or come home to on the holidays, or cry with when my first real crush got her first boyfriend...but then two  _ very special  _ people came along." 

Steve followed her gaze to her parents, who were sitting in two chairs against the wall. They were teary eyed as well. 

"I didn't make it easy on them. But no matter how hard I pushed them away, they were always there with a hug and a car ride. I owe my life to  _ them.  _ I wouldn't be here today if not for them." She looked back to the audience as she continued, "And soon, there will be more kids like me, able to say they  _ lived  _ because of special people like you. So, thank you." 

The couples around them erupted in applause and Steve turned to Tony with a smile. He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to. Tony knew  _ exactly  _ what he was thinking. 

"We're special, baby. We got this." 

* * *

"Tony and I have a special announcement we'd like to make," Steve said, giving Tony a secret smile when he said the word  _ special.  _

"You brought brownies  _ and  _ cupcakes tonight?" Clint guessed, licking his lips in excitement.

"Neither. It's a fruit tart." 

"Ugh," Clint groaned loudly, causing his children to do the same in return. 

"Don't listen to Dad," Laura said. "Fruit is  _ delicious."  _

"Anyway!" Tony said while Steve smiled at the exchange between the parents and their children. God, his husband was already lost in Baby World. They hadn't even met their kid yet. "This news has nothing to do with dessert--." 

"We're adopting!" Steve announced, smiling widely at everyone. 

The room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Tony noticed Rhodey coming over to give him a hug. It was exactly what he needed. 

"Hey, man, congratulations," Rhodey whispered in his ear as he hugged him tightly. "You guys talk it out?" 

"Yeah," Tony said with a smile. "We did." 

"I'm glad, Tony. This is gonna be great for you. Both of you." 

Rhodey glanced over to Steve, and Tony followed his gaze. He was beaming brightly at Bucky as he pulled him into a hug. Tony hadn't seen him this happy over something in a long time. Not to say he wasn't happy with his life...more like content. But he didn't want Steve to be  _ content.  _ He wanted him to be  _ happy.  _

"How serious is this?" Sam asked, from where he was still sitting. He didn't look against their decision, but he didn't look entirely for it either. 

"We've already gone to an adoption center. We signed up for an 8 week course to become certified. We've got our interview tomorrow for things like background checks and all that." Steve was practically vibrating with excitement. For just how long was he wanting this and how long was Tony denying it? 

"Are you guys sure you  _ really  _ want to do this?" He asked, tentatively. 

Tony glared in his direction, friend or not, when he saw the way his tone made Steve deflate. "Yes. We're sure."

At his snap, Sam raised his hands. "I don't want to upset anyone, but someone has to play devil's advocate here.  _ Someone _ has to say it. This isn't like buying a fish from the pet store." 

"Don't compare kids to pets," Tony said. "I learned that." 

"I'm saying that this is an actual living, breathing child that you're taking into your home. Children that...have experienced things you aren't trained to handle." Sam was choosing his words very carefully, but they were still harsh to Tony's ears. 

"Not one parent is trained for anything," Steve said, tensely. "That doesn't mean we should avoid the calling--." 

"What ‘calling’? Because we all made a comment last week about you two adopting? It was just that, man. A comment. You guys...aren't the couple to have kids. You're the kind that has date nights and can go out because you don't have kids to worry about. Adopting will change that." 

Steve straightened. "And I'm excited for that to change. I want to have a child to share our life with. Our family deserves to grow. You might enjoy the bachelor life, but that is not all we are." 

"I don't want to change your minds. I just want you to be 100% you know what you're getting yourself into," Sam said, looking over to Tony, knowing he was the rational one in this situation. Tony acted with his mind; Steve acted with his heart. 

Truthfully, Tony  _ understood  _ where Sam was coming from. "I know you're worried, Sam. We're worried too. But...we're meant for this. We'll get training before we can adopt, and we'll have a support group in the time that follows. We've thought this through and this is what we want." 

Tony felt Steve grab his hand when he spoke. Tony squeezed it and Steve said, "Thank you for being so...cautious, Sam. But we know what we're doing. We're going to be parents. We're going to be the best set of dads this world has ever seen." 

God, Tony hoped so. 

* * *

"Please sit," Phil said, gesturing to the small office table. Nick was already sitting in his chair, waiting. 

Steve took the leading step into the room and Tony followed close behind him. "It's so good to see you both again." 

"Ditto," Nick replied, pulling out a file once they say across from the two of them. 

"This won't take very long," Phil explained. "We just have a few questions so we can start looking for a match so that once you get your certification, you can be paired up with a child immediately."

“Of course,” Tony said as Steve grabbed his hand and settled it on his lap. 

“So, haven’t changed your mind?” Nick said, opening the file. 

“Why? You wanna try to?” Tony challenged, raising an eyebrow. “Because it won’t be the first time we’ve dealt with it.” 

“Oh, really?” Phil asked, leaning back comfortably in his seat. “How did that go?”

"Uh, well, a friend of ours was just trying to play  _ devil's advocate,"  _ Tony said, putting finger quotes around the last two words. "We told him that we're ready to do whatever it takes to be the best possible parents for this child." 

"I'm glad to see how confident you are," Phil said genuinely. "Our children need stable confident parents because if they're not even sure of themselves  _ before  _ fostering, what will happen when they take in a child?" 

Tony chuckled because that question should have made him second guess himself. But it didn't. He was confident in himself all because of  _ one  _ person. "You have my darling husband to thank for that."

"I didn't do anything but show you what you already were capable of, love," Steve said softly. 

"You're a good team,” Phil noted. “You’d be good parents for a child.” 

“And he’s not just saying that because we’re desperate,” Nick commented. 

Nick elbowed him gently. “So, why don’t we start? We have your files here and your background checks passed.”

“Oh, good,” Tony joked, gesturing towards Steve. “I was really worried about this one. He’s a wild thing.” 

“Be serious, Tony,” Steve said without any heat in his voice. 

“What do you do for a living?” Nick asked, ignoring his comment. 

“I run my own auto shop,” Tony answered. “Rogers-Stark’s over in town.” 

“And your husband?” Nick looked over at Steve, and Tony stayed quiet, letting Steve answer for himself. 

“I work from home. I run galleries. Art galleries,” he clarified, almost bashfully.

“He’s a great artist. Earns big bucks from his commissions too.” Tony would  _ never  _ give up on a chance to brag about his husband’s talent. 

Phil smiled softly. “So you’ll be able to care for this child around the clock without worrying about work getting in the way?” 

“Definitely,” Tony said. “He works from home except for when he runs the galleries, and then, I have other workers take over the shop for that night.” 

Nick scribbled down some notes as he said, “Good. Some of these kids require around the clock attention.” 

“Nick is right. Depending on their background and their age...what age were you hoping for, again?”

Tony and Steve exchanged a glance before Steve answered, “We were hoping for a child between the ages 5 and 8. Boy or girl. Any race.” 

“We’ll make note of that,” Nick said, scribbling down more notes. “Keep in mind that you’re free to change your mind at any time during the process. If you want to change your age range and how many children you’re looking to adopt.” 

“Oh, no...I don’t think we’d be able to handle more than one,” Tony said. Having  _ one  _ kid terrified him, who knew what could go wrong with  _ two?  _

“That’s fine. Just keep in mind if you do change your opinion.” Nick smiled, but Tony knew that it wasn’t a smile without a meaning behind it. He was still hoping to change their minds before the 8 weeks were up. 

“How will home life look? Aunts and uncles? Grandparents?” 

Tony immediately thought about Howard and his mom that lived a few towns away, next door to Steve’s mother. They hadn’t told any of them about their plans yet. They thought it was news that needed to be told in person instead of over the phone. Their mothers would be for it, they were both sure. But Howard was an entirely different story. 

The thought of him being enough to ruin their chances of being adoptive parents had him nervous. He didn't want to ruin Steve's chance to be a father. 

"The child will have an abundance of aunts and uncles. Plus a handful of cousins." Tony smiled, though not easily. "He or she will always have family  _ somewhere."  _

"And what about the Grandparents?" 

"Well, their grandmothers will love them the moment they meet them." 

"And the grandfathers?" Nick pressed, as if he already knew. 

"Steve's father passed away when we were back in high school," Tony explained with a breath of hesitation. "And my father...well, we'd be lucky if he died back in high school too." 

_ "Tony,"  _ Steve muttered, elbowing him..

Phil choked on his surprise and even Nick's eye widened. 

"I didn't mean that-- I'm sorry-- uh, please don't write that down." Tony sat forward, his hands shaking. "I didn't--." 

Phil chuckled. "Don't apologize, Tony. You don't have to apologize for human feelings. It won't go on your report."

"His father is a real piece of work," Steve said. "I've known him for almost as long as Tony has. He's always been nothing but a self-righteous prick." 

"He's right. I've been disowned from the Stark family, like, 15 different times." Tony shrugged his shoulders. He felt kinda proud of it, actually. "We try to avoid him. Limit visitations to holidays. But if we needed to, for the sake of the child, we can limit that to  _ no  _ visitations." 

"We'd be happy to, really," Steve said with a chuckle. 

"That won't be an issue. Unless of course you deem him unsafe to your child," Phil said. 

"No...he's an asshole, but he wouldn't hurt our child." 

Steve grinned, turning to face him. He moved in closer, grabbing Tony's hand. "Did you hear the words out of your mouth?  _ Our child?  _ We're gonna have a baby."

Tony smiled and Steve leaned forward to kiss his lips. When he pulled away, he said, "Well, that's up to them, babe." 

"Don't worry...I think my partner and I agree that you two are perfect parents to be." Phil smiled, closing the file on the table. 

"Really?" Steve asked, his grin widening. "Really?" 

"Yes. Really. Steve and Tony Rogers-Stark, welcome to Foster Care."

\--

The next few weeks passed by in almost a blur. They attended two classes a week to learn more about being foster parents. Lessons include CPR training; education on mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD; how to deal with the symptoms of trauma; and much more. 

One particular day was focused on the heart-rending reality of CSA survivors. Steve felt nauseous for the rest of the day. If anything, learning about the monsters that hurt children like that only encouraged Steve even more to be a father. He could have the power to take a child away from a situation as horrible as that and he could show them what real love from a parent felt like. 

Steve wasn't familiar with any of this firsthand. Sure, he had heard Howard talk to Tony like he was nothing, but that wasn't his father. His father loved him, and so did his mother. Howard might have seen Steve as a piece of chewed up gum on the bottom of his shoe, but Tony was dog shit on the bottom of his new Italian leather shoe. 

He couldn't relate to the suffering these children endured, but he could be there to give them someone who would listen, dry tears, and give the biggest hugs.. 

Together, he and Tony were going to be the best parents for their child. No matter what. 

Unfortunately, not every couple felt as strong in their resolution to be foster parents. The meeting after the CSA one had three less couples than the previous 7 weeks. 

This meeting was much lighter in topic, thank God. He hated it, but part of him wanted to just forget about it. He didn't want to think about the fact that children everyday were being sexually abused, especially by their own parents. It was horrible. Horrible enough that Steve didn't sleep the night after that meeting. Was he selfish to want to avoid a nightmare that was unavoidable for too many children? 

Tony had told him those feelings were normal, of course. Whether he meant it or he just wanted Steve to not feel bad, he promised Steve it was normal to have thoughts like that. 

Still, it didn't take away any of the guilt he felt as he sat in a folding chair in the middle of the room. He had a piece of paper taped to his chest that said  _ 'Child'.  _ The rest of the couples, Tony included, were standing around him in a circle. They were each holding one end of a string and Steve held the other ends of them all. Their signs said different things like: teacher, coach, case worker, friend, etc. 

Nick stood outside of the circle as he spoke to them all, "Alright, everyone. I want you to imagine you've got this plush new job. They give you a nice big office. There's even a frozen yogurt machine right there in the break room. But deep down, you know you're not qualified. In your heart of hearts, you know you're not good enough and you're gonna get fired." 

"Ouch," someone muttered and Steve had to agree with the sentiment as he tried to deduce where this activity was leading them. 

"You've lost the last three other jobs you've had. You actually might quit this one to get some control back. So you're the one that chooses to leave, for once. Hell, you might even knock over that frozen yogurt machine and trash the boss' office before you walk your ass right on out." 

Steve watched as Nick began to walk around the circle, slowly cutting each string as he passed.

"What I'm trying to say is...that it's the same for a displaced child." He waved a hand over to Steve, who was sitting in the middle, slowly losing all of his string connections. "These children believe that you don't want them...how could you? They've always got one step out just so they're ready. Except, instead of grieving the loss of a job, they're losing their connection with everything and everyone." 

Nick stopped his cutting when only two people were left with untouched strings. Their signs said  _ brother  _ and  _ sister.  _

"But the one connection that can remain is the one between siblings. Sometimes it's easier for siblings to adjust because they're not going through it alone." 

Phil stepped forward and said with a hopeful smile, "You might want to consider getting yourself a set of siblings." 

Steve followed one of his strings back to Tony, who was apparently his  _ sister  _ in this. They locked eyes and Steve knew exactly what he was thinking because Steve was thinking it too. 

There was no way they could handle siblings. 

\--

The worst part about being a teenager in foster care was that no one really wanted you. The other worst part was that social workers still paraded you around like someone would actually stop and want you. Harley wasn't an idiot though. He knew that a couple wasn't going to pass on an adorable little kid without the broken shards jutting out of every inch of them to get to a teenager like him. 

So, these little games that Scott dragged him along to weren't anything but a waste of time. 

He was never actually going to be picked from one of these things, and neither was Peter. Because even if Peter was one of those adorable kids that ran around the park and attracted attention from rich couples looking for their little orphan Annie, he would be shoved right back into the discard pile when they realized he came with an older brother. 

Peter hated these things just as much as Harley did, maybe even more. Not because he was old enough to feel like a zoo animal on display but because he hated strangers and this was nothing but strangers. 

"Pete, Scott's gonna be here any minute now. You ready to go?" Harley stood by the doorway to their bedroom, waiting for him to crawl out of his hiding spot. He didn't emerge, but Harley didn't rush him. 

"Hey! Your social worker is at the door! Get your asses down here!" Came a yell from somewhere in the house. 

Harley hated that Peter crawled out from underneath their bed so fast he hit his head on the frame. He didn't falter though and hurried to Harley's side, grabbing his hand tightly. 

Kneeling down to get to his height, Harley straightened the t-shirt he was wearing. It was old and worn, but it didn't matter. Peter wasn't going to be in the pool of children to buy today. 

"You're alright," Harley whispered. "They're not going to hurt you." 

Peter's wide eyes paired along with a pout broke Harley's heart. "I don't wanna go…" 

"Neither do I, Gizmo,” Harley sighed. "But at least it's a trip out of the house. They always have good snacks at these things." 

Even Harley's mouth was watering at the thought of all the food this adoption fair would have. They weren't starved in this home; they were given just a pinch more food than required to be starving. Harley always split his portions with Peter, so he was always hungry. He hoped Peter was at least content. 

"Can I sit with you?" Peter reached out to hold his shirt and squeezed it tightly. 

"I wish you could, Pete. But you know they separate us by age." Harley combed his fingers through his hair, trying to get control over some of the wild curls. 

"Harley! Peter! Now!" 

Peter hated yelling, and as much as Harley wanted to push their fosters' buttons, he didn't want to hurt Peter along the way. So he stood up and took Peter's hand, leading him down the hallway to the staircase. 

The house was dirty and there were always things lying around. They couldn't even be bothered to straighten up when their social worker came by. They couldn't bother to do much to care for Peter and Harley except to collect the checks that came with it. 

The house wasn't too disgusting and it wasn't the worst of conditions they'd lived in before. Their mother had brought them to abandoned houses to live on thin mattresses and ratty blankets while she got high in another room with whatever  _ friends  _ she was hanging out with. 

Though, those houses still weren't the worst places they'd lived in. 

Turned out, the worst places to live in were two story craftsman homes at the end of the block with a basketball hoop in the driveway. Walking past piles of dirty clothes and empty TV dinner wrappers in the middle of the living room was nothing compared to marble countertops that sparkled and China dishes on display. 

Their fosters were waiting at the door with a matching set of glares on their face. Harley glared right back. "You were told to be ready by 10. It's 10:03." 

"Oh, boo hoo." Harley rolled his eyes and pushed Peter in front of him, keeping his hands on both of his shoulders. 

Neither of their fosters would lay a finger on him; that he knew. That was one of the reasons Harley didn't mind living here, despite being constantly reminded that they weren't loved. But he still worried after what happened. 

"We'll be back later," he said as he pushed open the door and stepped out to the porch. "Don't wait up." 

The door was shut before he even finished his sentence. 

Scott was in the car waiting and Harley was glad he didn't get impatient and come to the door. He didn't want him to bring up the conversation that their fosters weren't good enough. Harley didn't want to be moved from a home he knew Peter was safe in. 

"Hey, boys," Scott said as Harley opened the door for Peter. He made sure Peter buckled into the car seat before he went around to get in on the other side. Peter only had to sit on the booster seat and pull the belt across himself, but Harley felt the need to do it himself and make sure Peter was okay. 

"Hey, Scott," Harley said, buckling his own belt now. "Dragging us to another bullshit auction?" 

"It's not an  _ auction.  _ We're not auctioning off children." Scott eyed him through the rear view mirror briefly. They'd had this conversation every time he took them to an adoption fair. 

"Oh, my mistake." Harley stared out the window, glaring at every happy family they passed. "It's a zoo. That's right." 

Scott sighed and waited until they hit the next red light before he spoke again, "How are you doing, Peter? Excited to see other kids and maybe meet a family?" 

Peter hunched his shoulders and stared down at his lap. 

Harley answered for him, "Don't sit here and try and get the kid's hopes up, Scott. We know you'll take us right back to the O’Hares tonight with no one interested. Just like the last four times." 

"You're going to find a family," Scott said. "I know you will. The O'Hares aren't your family." 

"No," Harley agreed. "Because our mother is our family. Until she's ready for us again, we'll just have to wait it out. And if it means we stay where we are, then that's fine. We're fed, we have a bed, and we're not beat." 

"Those shouldn't be the only qualifications for a home, Harley," Scott said softly. 

"For us it is," he argued, staring back out the window. 

Scott didn't deny it because he knew it was true. He had been with Harley and Peter since the fire 4 years ago. He knew  _ everything  _ they went through, so he should know better than to push. 

The rest of the drive was silent. Scott drove them to the park, Harley stared outside the window, and Peter sat still. When they parked in the full parking lot, Harley sighed. "Can't you just pretend like you dropped us off?" 

"You know I can't do that, Harley." Scott was one of the only adults in this world that was an actual decent human being. He cared for him and Peter. He protected them. Peter actually felt safe being with him. 

"We won't tell. Peter doesn't even talk to anyone else, and I won't snitch. Let's just...get fast food and park somewhere no one will find us. Please."

Scott hesitated and for a moment, Harley thought maybe he would pull back out of the parking spot. But he turned off the car with a heavy sigh. "I can't do that. God forbid we got caught, I'd lose my job and then I wouldn't be your case worker anymore. I don't think either of us want that." 

He was right about that. Getting a new case worker meant letting another stranger into their life. 

"Besides, I have a good feeling about this one, kid. I think you might find your new family out there." 

Harley scoffed and rolled his eyes. He didn't need to find a new family. Peter was right next to him, and his mother would be out of jail eventually. There was no need to replace her. "Whatever, Scott. Come on, Peter, let's go watch adults stalk children in the park and pick out the ones they think look cutest. Because that's not creepy at all." 

"Alright, well, when you put it like that…" 

"How else am I supposed to see it, Scott?" Harley rolled his eyes, unbuckling Peter. 

"Give it a chance, Harley. Please." Scott's eyes were full of pleading. 

Harley sighed. "I don't need another family, Scott. He's right here. So let it go. Please." He took Peter by the hand and led him towards the fair. 

Unfortunately, he heard the car door open behind him. Scott was following them. Harley glanced to the street and wanted so badly to  _ run.  _ He wanted to grab Peter and run away so no one could ever bother them again. No one could protect Peter like he could. No one.

But he knew that he wouldn’t be able to provide for him, and if they were caught, maybe that would ruin his chances of being Peter’s legal guardian later in life. Harley didn’t want that. So he’d suffer through the next two and a half years until he could file for guardianship as an adult. 

Until then, he’d keep Peter as safe as he could while Scott and the other social workers played their games. Harley already knew that they weren’t going to find another family other than their mom. There wasn’t anyone out there that would want them, and Harley didn’t want them either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be updated every Monday and Thursday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep replotting this fic over and over to try and figure out where I want to go with it. I used the movie as a starting point and some eventual scenes, but most of the plot will be its own so I'm struggling to piece it all together. Hopefully, soon I'll have a set plot with an estimated amount of chapters!
> 
> This chapter mentions past sexual abuse of a child and Skip is mentioned several times by name.

Tony looked around the park as they entered through the gates, covered in streamers. A banner across the top read,  _ Adoption Fair.  _

"Doesn't this feel a little...weird to you?" Tony whispered to Steve. He didn't think using any words like 'prediatorary' would be good to say surrounded by kids they were looking to adopt. 

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Steve commented, heading towards the sign-in booth. 

"Steve! Tony! So glad you could make it!" Phil said, standing up and waving them over.

Steve hurried and dragged Tony over by his hand. 

"Of course! We're so excited!" Steve grinned, tugging Tony close against his side. 

"Here. Sign this form, and then jot down the name to any child you might be interested in." Nick handed him the clipboard in his hand. 

"Is that really how this works?" Tony made a face. 

"Yeah, I know. It can feel a little like  _ shopping for kids.  _ It's messed up, but the county puts these on because they can match a lot of kids and parents quickly," Phil explained, gesturing at the crowd of kids behind them. 

"Look at the big kids over there," Steve said softly. Tony followed his gaze to see a group of teenagers all sitting at the edge of the park, far away from kids and adults.

"Just about breaks my heart," Phil said. "Most people want nothing to do with them. Of course, if you thought you could make room for an older child…" 

Tony's mind froze. "Uh…Oh, God…" 

Steve cleared his throat. "I'm sorry...We must be horrible people. I'm sorry." 

"No. Don't apologize," Phil said immediately. "Get in there and find your family." 

Steve walked in with Tony's hand still clasped in his. They passed by groups of children and Tony waited until they were alone to make a comment, "You know...usually, you start chatting up kids at a park and you're arrested. Now it's encouraged?" 

"Weird, but if that's what it takes to find our baby then I guess it's time to get our creep on," Steve teased, his eyes surveying the children. They stopped on a young child sitting amongst giant plates building blocks. "What about that little one? Let's go say hi." 

Tony followed after him, trying to keep up to his fast pace. "See. Creepy." 

"C'mon, just--." 

"Hey! Woah! We were here first! Dibs!" A couple from their group hurried over and shoved Steve and Tony out of the way. "We were just getting snacks." 

Tony made a face as they shoved their bags of chips towards them. He huffed and allowed himself to be pushed away with Steve. "God, it's like Black Friday." 

"Let's, uh, look over there then…" Steve said, gesturing behind him. 

"Hey, it's alright, love. We'll find the one." Tony leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

Except, by the time they were sitting down at a picnic table for some lunch, they hadn't found a kid yet. Sure, they met a lot of kids that fit, but they didn't... _ click  _ with any of them. 

"What about, uh," Steve said, reading their list of children they made note of. "Wade? He was a sweet kid…" 

Tony raised an eyebrow as he took a bite of the carrot stick in his hand. "Sweet kid? He made nunchucks out of Barbie dolls before ripping their heads off." 

Steve hesitated before drawing a line through his name. "Well, what about--." 

"We don't have to do this, Steve," Tony said and before he could clarify his words, Steve looked up at him in a panic. "I mean, we don't have to pick from here. There are other ways to be sorted with a child." 

"But look how many are here, Tony. We talked with every available child and none...I didn't feel a connection to any of them. It didn't feel like they were made to be ours." Steve chewed on his bottom lip. 

"So they're not here--." 

"What if they're nowhere? What if they just don't...exist?" 

Tony reached forward and grabbed his hands. "You can't think like that. They're out there. I know they are." 

Steve looked away from Tony, and he could see the way his eyes teared up. Tony rubbed his hands soothingly with his thumbs. 

"We will. I promise." 

"How do you know?" 

"Because we haven't even  _ started  _ yet. Hell, we haven't even spoken to those kids yet." Tony gestured to the group of older kids behind him. 

"Tony...those are the older ones." 

"Yeah, and I'm tired of seeing them standing there all alone." Tony stood up and stalked over towards the teens. 

Steve hurried after him, grabbing his hand to try and stop him. "Tony, are you crazy? We wanted to adopt a younger one." 

"And that's not changing. We can just  _ talk  _ to them. Everyone just lets them sit over here and no one goes near them as if they're dipped in shit or something." 

Steve's eyes were wild. "Teenagers are different from kids, babe. They use drugs and-- and they masturbate and they watch people on YouTube. We're not equipped." 

"I'm just going to say hello," Tony kept walking, dragging Steve with him. "That's it." 

"Excuse me?" 

Steve and Tony both whipped their head to the group of teenagers. There was one of them that had come closer sometime between their journey over here. He had shaggy blond hair that curled around his ears and piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare right into them. 

"Hello," he said, waving his hand to them when he had their attention. 

Tony froze, but Steve cleared his throat. "Hey. Hello." 

"You know we can hear you, right?" He asked rhetorically. "'Dipped in shit', 'masturbate'..."

"Oh." Steve took the smallest of steps forward. 

"We appreciate your concern, but there's no need to get all  _ pity  _ crazy. We know how this works. So, just go on. It's okay. Go mingle with the kiddies, and don't give us another thought." He grinned at them, but it wasn't the sweet grin kids had been using to be adopted. It was a grin Tony gave Howard when he felt like pushing his buttons. Tony found himself grinning back, though his was much more genuine. 

"Have a good day, folks!" The boy gave them a little wave. "Bye bye!" Before he turned around to share a laugh, Tony looked down at the name tag on his chest that read  _ Harley, 15.  _

He turned to look at Steve and saw in his eyes that they were thinking the exact same thing. 

That was their kid. 

\--

  
  
  


"So you went out and found yourself a big kid, afterall," Nick chuckled as they sat back in that office they had their first interview in weeks ago. 

"We only met him for like a second...but he left an impression," Steve said, taking a seat next to Tony. He hadn't expected to leave that fair with a 15-year-old's name in mind, but he couldn't forget about him. They even waited a weekend to think it over, and still, their answer was as clear as day. 

"Harley's a great kid," Phil said. "He does well in school and--." 

"You don't have to sell to us, Phil," Tony chuckled. "We want that kid." 

"He came into care 4 years ago, when he was only 11," Nick started to explain. "It took  _ a lot  _ to convince him to accept a placement in an adoptive home." 

"His mother--." 

"Set the house on fire after fallin' asleep with a crack pipe in her hand."

Phil sighed. "What I was gonna say--." 

"Before I told it like it is?" 

"Before you  _ jumped in, _ is that his mother has made him a lot of promises over the past few years and never seems to follow through with them." Phil had a sad look on his face as he pulled out a file, presumably Harley's. 

"Where's his mother now?" Steve asked quietly, even though there was no one to hide his words from. 

"Probably wearing an orange jumpsuit selling smokes in the yard," Nick said, staring at Steve with a disapproving look on his face. 

"I'm sure that's not accurate," Phil started as he opened the file. He paused. "Huh. Turns out Harley's mother is finishing a sentence in county jail." 

"See," Nick said, not even fazed. "Told you." 

"Well, she's never pursued reunification and hasn't contacted her kids in two years so...yeah, she's not an issue." 

"And what about the father?" Tony asked because of course he would. Fathers were  _ always  _ an issue to Tony, even when they weren't. 

Nick laughed while Phil just shook his head. "No one has ever stepped up. No ID on the birth fathers." 

Steve's ear perked at the plural word of  _ fathers.  _

"Harley's mom is a product of the system. She never learned how to take care of herself, much less two kids." 

_ There it was.  _

Tony blinked a few times as he lifted his hands to halt the conversation. "Wait. What. Two kids?" 

"Yeah…" Phil continued slowly as he pulled a piece of paper from the file again. "Harley and his little brother. Peter." 

"We can't-- two kids and one of them is a teenager?" Tony started to argue, but then Phil slid a picture in front of them. It was a picture of a little boy with brown curls and big brown eyes. He wasn't smiling at the camera, but Steve bet if he did smile, he'd stop the world from spinning. 

"He's adorable," Steve whispered, lifting the picture to look at him closer. He kinda reminded Steve of Tony with his wild curls and brown eyes. 

"He's 7-years-old," Phil informed them. 

_ That meant he had been in care since he was three...oh, that poor baby. _

"And we're not going to sugar coat it. These kids...they come with stories and struggles. But with the two of you, finally giving them a home...they'd really turn their lives into something more." 

Steve didn't need the selling speech for Harley, and he certainly didn't need it for Peter. These were his boys. He knew it. "That's alright. We can work with them." 

"Steve--." 

"Tony, look at him," Steve said, showing him the picture again. He put it in his hand, wondering if he felt the same shock of connection. "Tell me you feel something. Just like we did when we saw Harley." 

Tony hesitated and for a moment, Steve was afraid Tony was going to shake his head and give up on this. And if he did, Steve wouldn't argue with him. They both had to want this. But in the end, he nodded with a small smile. "Alright. Okay. Yeah. Tell us about both of them," Tony said, sounding much more confident. 

Steve smiled at Tony for an extra second longer before turning his attention back to Phil and Nick. 

"Harley is strong-willed, stubborn, and he won't trust easily. Whatever you saw at the fair today? That was him on his best behavior." Nick warned, eyeing them both. 

Tony smiled, waving his hand. "Please. I liked the kid's spunk. Reminded me of myself when I was his age." 

"And Peter?" Steve asked, curious since they had yet to meet this one. "We didn't even see him at the fair, and we spoke to every kid we saw in his age group…" 

"Peter is wary of strangers. He always hides during these events. You wouldn't have met him." 

Steve frowned. "But if he hides, then how will he ever find a family?" 

"A few times, he's been paired up or he's been seen in these things. He's always quick to be picked, but he's always dropped not long after." Nick spat out the words like they were venom to his tongue. 

"Because he comes with a teenage sibling?" 

"Yes, that is one of the reasons…" 

"Don't beat around the bushes," Tony said. "What? Does he have a bed-wetting problem? Throw tantrums? Whatever it is, Steve and I can handle it." 

Steve nodded his head in agreement, but the next words out of Nick's mouth made him wonder if he really could handle it. 

"Peter was sexually abused by his second foster parent from the age of 4 to 6." 

Steve's blood chilled as he waited for someone to say it was just a test. It wasn't real. Sure, they'd learned about these kids, but they just had to be nightmare tales right? No one would actually sexually abuse a 4-year-old...right? 

"They've been in three foster homes since being placed," Nick began to explain. "Their first home didn't last longer than a year. From Harley's story, the couple was abusive-- to him only. But the first day that the wife slapped Peter, he called his case worker and they were out of the home." 

That wasn't even the monster…

"And then they were placed with another foster. A single man that had us all fooled...even Harley. He didn't know until two years into their placement that Peter was being molested." 

Steve felt even sicker than he did after the two hour long class about this. Because this wasn't just a hypothetical child...this was a real child. This was Peter, a boy whom Steve has never met before but already felt a fierce protectiveness for him. 

"Then we placed them with a new couple. They aren't bad people. No abuse or neglect...but it's obvious they might be in it more for the money than the children." 

"Might be?" Nick scoffed. "Please. The only reason I haven't taken these kids away sooner is because it's safe for them, and I'm not going to take them away from safe just to put them with another Skip." 

Steve's eyes flickered over to Nick. "Skip?" 

"The man who abused Peter. His name was Skip." The pencil in Nick's fist snapped in two. 

"Hey, calm down...it's okay." Phil said, rubbing his arm. 

"Nothing about this is okay. And these are only two of the thousands of kids in these situations." Nick shoved his chair out and he stood up to start pacing. 

Phil watched him closely for a moment before looking back to Steve and Tony. "We've tried to find them a family that will love them, but no one ever sticks around after they find out about Peter." Nick glanced between the two of them. "We wouldn't be encouraging this match if we didn't believe in it. But we truly do think that you two are perfect and with a little love and nurturing, these two kids will blossom." 

"Is there anything else we should know?" Tony asked. Steve expected them to at least  _ talk  _ about it first. 

"Peter doesn't talk to anyone except his brother. I've never heard the kid say a word. And while his older brother remains guarded behind his many walls, Peter wears every emotion on his sleeve. He needs love from parents, and so does Harley." Phil hesitated, pulling his hands back. "I'll give you time to discuss this, of course. We understand if you change your mind about it-- these circumstances--." 

"When can we meet him?" 

"I'm sorry, what?" Phil asked, and even Nick stopped his pacing to look over at Steve. 

"Well, we already met Harley. I think it's a good idea we meet Peter too and make sure he wants this match too." Steve smiled, lacing his fingers with Tony's. 

"Of course!" Phil slammed his file shut, an excitement to his eyes that Steve hadn't seen in the eight weeks of knowing him. "We'll set up a visitation immediately!" 

"Thank you. We look forward to it." Steve smiled, standing up with Tony. 

Phil held his hand out to them and each of them took turns shaking his hand. "No,  _ thank you.  _ Both of you. You have no idea how much this means to us." 

"Don't thank us yet, Philly Boy. The kid has to like us too, y'know." Tony chuckled. 

"He'll love you. I'm sure of it." 

Steve turned to Tony and gave him a look meant just for him. "So am I. He's going to love you. And I can't wait for us to meet him." 

* * *

Harley couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe it. Scott had told him that a couple had taken an interest in him from the fair, and Harley knew it had to be the couple that he snapped at. No one else even came over. 

Even then, he didn't think it was true. Not until his fosters were opening the door, and the two men were standing on the other end. 

They stepped inside and for the first time since Harley lived here, he felt ashamed of the mess. He hurried to pick up some of the crsp off the floor as they slowly made their way inside. 

The taller, bigger one gave him a warm smile while the smaller one glanced around the rundown house. To Harley, most people were rich, but these two looked  _ rich rich.  _

They weren't like his fosters just looking for a check. They didn't need the money. Maybe they really were just interested in a kid? 

"Hello, Harley," the big one said. "It's nice to see you again." He seemed less nervous than he did during the fair when he had gotten caught peeping on the teenagers. But he still wasn't completely relaxed. 

"It's nice to meet you...uh, I didn't catch your name," Harley said lamely, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. Why was he so nervous? This place was safe and reliable...what would home be like with these two? Harley couldn't be sure…

"Oh, right-- I'm Steve and this is my husband, Tony," the big one--  _ Steve  _ said. Harley tried to ignore the way his stomach flipped at the name. People shared names. Just because one evil person had the name didn't mean all others were evil. The name was just...tainted. 

"It's nice to meet ya', kid," Tony said, giving him a smile. "You gave us quite a run for our money the other day. But that snark you have, I feel a kinship to it." 

Harley laughed, unsure of how else to react to that comment. Usually, adults liked it when kids were  _ seen and not heard.  _ "Uh...yeah, well…" 

"Good luck with that one. The charm will wear off real quick," his hag of a foster ‘mom’ sneered as they walked past. "Thinks he's better than everyone else." 

Harley glared at their retreating backs. He hated how embarrassed the comment made him feel in front of Tony and Steve. He didn't have anything to prove to them. They didn't know him. Still, he felt like he needed to apologize on their behalf. "I'm sorry about the two of them. They're…" 

"Dickwads?" Tony asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

Harley let out a laugh before he could hold it back. The comment caught him off-guard, but it made him smile. He didn't get many genuine smiles anymore. 

"That's more like it," Harley agreed before continuing sarcastically, "Gee, I'm really gonna miss them." He realized his words too late-- after he had said them. He was already forcing himself into their life. He couldn't get attached! He couldn't let his guard down. "I mean--."

"No, it's alright," Steve said, sensing his panic. He cleared his throat. "We wanted to get to know you more after we met you at the fair." 

Harley had never heard those words before, and he never thought he would. "I have a brother," he said, hoping they already knew. He didn't want Peter to be a surprise, or think that Harley came  _ without  _ him. 

"Peter," Tony said, smiling softly. "Yes. Nick and Phil told us all about him." 

All about him? So they knew-- they knew about Peter and how he was hurt. But why were they still here? No one ever stayed. "All about him?" 

"Yup, and we can't wait to meet the little sweetheart." Steve smiled, not even hesitating. 

Should Harley bring it up? Ask them? Warn them not to move too suddenly or come to close? That wouldn’t be right though. It was Peter’s story to tell, not his. What if he didn’t want them to know? Not that he really understood just how  _ bad  _ what happened to him was. He just knew he never liked it, but kids also don’t like eating all of their vegetables or going to bed on time...so what did that really mean?

"Harley, you okay?" Tony asked. "We can leave and come back another time." 

"No!" He said quickly, snapping out of his thoughts. "Uh, Peter's outside if you want to come meet him."

"Lead the way." Steve's voice was as warm as his smile. Harley wasn't used to Steves being warm-- though he'd only met one Steve before him. That Steve was just so horrible he ruined the name for him. But Harley had to change that thought. Steve wasn't Steve.  _ Steve wasn't Skip. _

He stepped out into the yard, once again embarrassed by the state it was kept in. There was trash thrown all over the yard and the fence around their property was rotting away to nothing. This was the first time Harley wondered if neighbors looked in and noticed how disgusting they lived. 

He turned to the two of them, trying to ignore all this newfound mortification and said, "I'm going to get him from his hiding spot. I don't want to scare him...I'll be right back." 

Whether they knew Peter's past or not, they understood enough to agree and wait by the patio. Harley ran through the knee-high grass, jumping over the trash that made their yard look like a junkyard. Lowering himself to his knees, he peeked into Peter's little fort made up of an old cardboard box, ruined by rain and outside conditions. Peter still managed to squeeze himself under it though. 

"Hey, Gizmo, we've got some guests that want to meet you." 

Peter wasn't doing anything but hiding in the little fort. It broke Harley's heart. He was supposed to play and be a kid. But he just hid. "I don't wanna see ‘em." 

"You don't even know who they are," Harley pointed out. 

"Do you?" 

"Yeah, I met them the other day at the fair. They're nice people. You'll like them." Harley knew Peter would believe him because he believed anything and everything that Harley told him. 

"You sure?" 

He wasn't sure. He couldn't be after he was so sure of Skip for two entire years. But these two felt different. "I'm sure." 

"Okay…" Peter crawled out and grabbed Harley's hand to be led over to Steve and Tony. 

They were in the middle of a hushed conversation that ended with Steve squeezing Tony's hand and giving him a reassuring smile. Harley wondered what they were worried about. 

Peter hid behind Harley's legs once they were close enough, and Harley cleared his throat. 

Tony and Steve both whipped their heads to stare. Their eyes trailed down Harley and settled at a spot just behind his knees where he knew Peter was peeking.

"Peter, this is Tony and...Steve." He watched Peter closely when he introduced Steve's name. He didn't notice even the smallest of eye twitches. Maybe it didn't bother Peter like it bothered Harley.

"It's so nice to meet you," Steve said, giving that warm smile again. "We've heard lots of good things about you two...we just had to come meet you for ourselves."

Peter was silent just like he always was when someone else was around. He was digging his fingers into Harley's legs. 

Tony's voice wasn't as warm and gentle as Steve's, but Harley still found it comforting. "We've got a few hours to hang out...see if you like two old fuddy duddies like us." 

Peter giggled quietly, and they almost missed it. 

Tony smiled some more as he looked down at Peter. "You think that's funny, huh? You like that word? Fuddy-duddy." 

Peter nodded his head, biting his lip to stifle another giggle. 

Harley smiled at Tony as he continued to talk to Peter. He talked to him like he was a person, and not some damaged little baby. It was refreshing. His brother was intelligent, and he was bright. He didn't need to be babied in spite of his past. 

"So whaddya say? Wanna play a game with us?" Tony winked, lowering to a squat so he was on Peter's level. 

Peter looked around the yard that was devoid of any children's games. Of course, it wasn't to Peter though. He ran back to his little fort and came back with four sticks. 

"Pete--." 

Peter didn't heed his warning before he plopped to the ground and looked up at them expectantly. 

Harley winced. "Pete, they're not going to sit in this dirt. They've got nice--.” Before he could finish his sentence, both Tony and Steve were sitting on the dirt, albeit, almost three feet away from Peter. “...clothes on."

Harley knew what Peter wanted, so he reached for two of the sticks slowly and handed one back to Peter. He still couldn't believe they were sitting in the dirt just because Peter gave them a look-- he didn't even use his puppy eyes. He didn't think anyone but him would be so sweet to his brother. He liked it. 

He grabbed his stick and began to drag it through the dirt, drawing little squiggles. "He likes to doodle in the dirt. That's all." 

"Oh, that's neat!" Steve said, brightly. "I love drawing. I'm an artist." 

Harley eyed him as he dragged his own stick through the dirt, looking like he had a plan unlike Harley. 

"Steve is right. He's amazing too. Runs these beautiful galleries. Absolutely stunning," Tony bragged, not drawing but rather watching Steve. 

Harley asked, even if just to break the awkward silence, "What about you Tony? What do you do?" 

"I'm a mechanic at a local shop," Tony said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

"Oh, don't let him fool you. He's more than just a mechanic. He owns the shop. Runs it himself." Steve grinned, patting Tony on the arm. 

"That's pretty cool," Harley said, and he meant it. Building things had always interested him ever since he had a really cool tech teacher back in middle school. Maybe Tony could teach-- _no,_ _Harley, stop. Don't get attached._

"You think so?" Tony asked, smiling at Harley. “Maybe one day I’ll bring you to the shop." 

Harley's eyes widened. If he was planning on a future then that meant he was going to take them home. What would it be like to live with them for the time left in their foster care instead of  _ here?  _ Glancing over to Peter, he saw the smile on his face as he started a game of tic-tac-toe with Steve. He hadn’t seen a smile on Peter’s face around other people in weeks. Even Scott rarely received one. 

That was when Harley decided he wanted to go home with them. He wanted them to be their fosters. Only for Peter’s sake. Maybe he could live in a clean house and learn to be a child. Harley would just make sure he didn’t grow attached because he could already tell just from today that Peter could  _ easily  _ grow attached. 

Even after everything that happened, Peter still  _ loved.  _ He loved so deeply. He didn’t trust many people, but if he did, they had a spot in his heart. And Harley couldn’t let these two in there. Not after he thought Skip was such a  _ great  _ guy. Harley wouldn’t fail him again. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back with an almost 7k word chapter! Yay! Thank you so much for all of your reviews. They always make me so happy and I refresh my inbox like a madman, hoping you guys like the updates. I'm so excited to share this story with all of you. 
> 
> This chapter once again mentions past sexual abuse of a child, mentions Skip by name a few times, has manipulative abusive behavior from Howard, and a character's (Howard’s) view of foster children that is bigoted and is not the author's opinions!

"We can turn around right now," Tony said, eyeing Howard's car in the driveway. "They don't even know we're here." 

"We have to tell them, Tony. Don't you want your Mom to know?"

"Yeah, but we can wait 'til he's like on a cruise or something." 

Steve shook his head and knocked on the door. "We're not hiding from your father. He can have nothing bad to say about us adopting." 

"You've known my father for how long and still you're underestimating his cruelty?" Tony shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for the door to open. 

"This isn't about Howard today. This is about us and our family." Steve gave him a smile that was always just what he needed. 

Tony nodded with a shaky breath. "Alright. Okay. But if he pisses me off, I'm leaving." 

"And I'll be right behind you, love. Promise." 

Then the door opened and Maria pulled him into a hug immediately. Tony melted into her arms. "Anthony!"

"Mom," Tony breathed as he relaxed in her embrace. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too, bambino," Maria pressed her lips to his cheek before turning to Steve and pulling him into a hug too. "How is my other bambino?" 

Steve smiled, and the sight brought butterflies to his stomach just like it did every time since he fell in love. "I'm doing well, Mom. Is Ma here?" 

Maria grinned, tapping him on the nose. "How did you know?"

"C'mon, when isn't she with you?" 

"You're right about that...well, come in." She pulled them in by their hands. "Sarah, guess who's here!" 

Tony watched the doorway as Sarah walked into the room. She was small and petite; Steve had definitely taken after his dad's body build. But his blond hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and pretty face were all from his mother. Lucky Tony. 

"Boys! Come give your Ma a hug!" She spread her arms open and Tony raced Steve over to her waiting arms. Steve beat him and lifted her off of her feet in a hug. Tony was right behind him and had his turn in twirling her in a hug right after. 

"We were just having some tea," Sarah said, patting Tony's cheek. "You want to come join us?"

"We'd love to. And is Howard around?" Tony couldn't help but tense when mentioning his father. 

"Oh, you've got news for us, then, huh?" Maria raised her eyebrows. “Not just stopping by to say hi.”

"Yeah…" 

"You head to the kitchen. I'll fetch your father." Maria smiled before disappearing down in the basement where he usually hid with work. 

They followed Sarah into the dining room where there were already two mugs sitting on the table. Steve grabbed two more to bring out with them. Tony could have grabbed another for Howard, but he didn't want to. 

By the time Sarah was done pouring the last mug full of tea, Maria and Howard were in the room. 

"So is there a reason for this little reunion?" Howard asked, still standing as everyone sat down. 

"The boys want to tell us something," Maria said. "Anthony asked for you to be here before they told us." 

"Why? They getting a divorce? What other news could I want to hear?" Howard was dressed in a three piece suit just like Tony would have worn everyday if he stayed in the family business. 

"I've been married to Tony for 10 years, and I plan to stay married to him for the rest of my life." Steve narrowed his eyes at Howard. He was never scared to stand up to him. Howard hated him for that. 

"My condolences," Howard said, coldly. "Now can we hurry up please?" 

"Howard, don't rush my son out of the house," Maria scolded.

"No rush. He can stay as long as he'd like. Doesn't mean I have to be around to see him." Howard couldn't even meet his eyes. 

"Howard." 

"Fine. I'll listen. No interruptions." Howard waved his hand before crossing his arms over his chest.

Steve took Tony's hand and Tony focused on him instead of Howard. Thankfully, Steve spoke so that Tony wouldn't have to. He didn't trust his own voice in front of Howard, even though he was old enough to be strong. He was old enough to stand up to his father, but still, he just never seemed to be able to. Instead, he just stood next to his husband and watched Howard’s reaction to the words Steve said. “Tony and I decided that we want children...so we’re adopting.” 

Howard smiled and Tony froze. Why was he smiling? There was no way in hell he was happy for them, unless hell was frozen over. He chuckled, shaking his head as Steve continued. 

“We’ve taken the classes, and we have our certification. We’re going to foster two children until they’re ready to be adopted. By us.” 

Still, Howard was smiling. Even as Maria and Sarah exclaimed how happy they were for the two of them. Tony could barely hear their words over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He didn’t understand Howard’s reaction. 

Tony shouldn’t have needed to voice his question because what kind of son needed to wonder why his father would be happy for him? But, unfortunately, Tony was used to this. “Why are you smiling?” 

"Is it not normal to laugh at a joke?" He asked, a smirk on his lips. God, he was just taunting them now. "This is a joke, correct? There's no way that the two of you would go out and adopt kids." 

"And why not?" Tony asked, frowning. 

"Because it's ridiculous. You can barely deal with your own problems and you're going to bring in more." Howard rolled his eyes. 

Any  _ problems  _ that Tony had were all given to him courtesy of Howard Stark. He had no right to sit here and pretend like that wasn't true. "We want to give children that are stuck in bad situations a chance to have something more." 

"And that is very noble of you two," Maria said, grabbing Tony's hand. 

Tony glanced over at her, and he could tell she was trying to get his attention off of Howard. Howard knew this too and continued to taunt. 

"Do you ever get tired of bringing shame to your family name, Anthony?" 

"I dunno. Do you ever get tired of being a dickwad?" Tony fired right back, eyes narrowed in a glare. He didn't care if this wasn't what Howard wanted. In fact, it made him want to do this even more. If it earned his father's disapproval, he was obviously doing something right. 

"You're not a stupid man, so I don't know why you make such  _ stupid  _ decisions. These  _ children  _ have issues-- all kinds of issues and you're going to just bring them into your home?" Howard shook his head. "That's just idiotic." 

"Those children have issues? Oh, and what? Your child was fine?" Tony stood up, shoving his chair back with his legs. "You never gave a damn if your own child was fine, so why do you care about these kids?" 

"My child was never abused--." 

Tony scoffed. He had to hold back a laugh at that one. Howard didn't think he was abused. How rich. 

"Do not give me this shit again, Anthony. I'm a strict parent. I only ever did something to look out for you and keep your best interests in mind. Do not take these things and recreate them into something they weren't inside that little mind of yours." 

And the saddest part about that wasn't that he was being abusive while trying to deny the fact that he was abusive. No. The saddest part was that he actually believed his words. 

"You were never beat. You were never exposed to sex or drugs. But these kids were. You have no idea what they've been through and you're just going to waltz them into our lives?" 

Tony shook his head firmly. "We are  _ not  _ matching them into  _ your _ life. If it were up to me, you'd never meet them." 

"Oh, why? Because I was such a horrible father?" Howard rolled his eyes.

"Yes!" Tony shouted. "That's exactly why! You're a horrible father!"

"You've never seen a  _ horrible  _ father, Anthony. Why don't you go back to your new little kiddos and ask them about their parents. See if what they tell you makes me seem like such a bad guy." He took a step closer and Tony tried not to waver. He noticed Steve stand up from his seat next to him. He didn't even try to hide his protectiveness. "I'm sorry you didn't like my tough love, Anthony. That is not my fault. But if I were truly an abusive and horrible parent, you would have found yourself in the position all of these children are in. Homeless and looking for new parents." 

"The only thing that kept me in this home growing up was Mom," Tony said, surprised that his voice wasn't even shaking. 

"So you've told me," Howard said as if the words didn't even hurt him. And that pissed Tony off. For once, he just wanted Howard to feel like he left him feeling. "Now unless you've changed your mind about this stupid mistake, I have no desire to continue in this conversation." 

"Howard," Maria said, finally speaking up. "These are your grandchildren we're talking about." 

"My grandchildren?" Howard laughed. "No. I lost that chance when my only son decided to settle for another man. There will never be grandchildren for the Stark name and legacy to continue."

"Well, you're right about one thing," Tony said. "They won't be Starks. They'll be Rogers-Starks."

Howard stared at him for a long moment without looking away. Then finally, he turned away to leave. "I'm going back to my office." 

"Howard, don't leave things like this," Maria said with a heavy sigh. God, didn't she get tired of always having to take care of her husband's messes? 

"I'm not getting involved with this. I know these two won't be approved to take care of a kid. I don't know why they're wasting so much time with it." Then he was out of the room without even looking back at Tony or Steve. 

"Ignore him. Don't let him ruin your happiness," Sarah said, trying to reach for Tony's hand. 

Tony couldn't tear his eyes away from the doorway he just left. "He always does." 

"Not this time," she said. "Tell us about your babies. Is it official yet or are you just starting to look?" 

Tony wanted to do anything but talk about kids when all he could think about was him being an epic failure, but Steve pulled him close to his side and he felt comforted. Tony wrapped an arm around his broad chest and let him respond. 

"We attended an adoption fair and fell in love with a teenage boy." 

Tony could see the surprised looks on their mothers' faces. He couldn't tell if there was any disapproval mixed in. 

"He's 15-years-old and his name is Harley. He also has a brother." Steve was smiling as he spoke about their future foster kids, and hopefully, future kids. Tony felt himself relaxing at the sight of his soft smile. It was infectious. 

"A brother? Aw, two of them! We're gonna have  _ two _ grandbabies." Sarah shook Maria by the arm gently. 

"How old is the little one?" Maria asked, her eyes softening after Howard had obviously upset her. 

"Seven. He's very quiet though...reserved. We haven't heard him speak yet," Steve admitted. "They've both been through hell and back. So, we're going to let them get settled into our home before bringing them over. I mean, we haven't even finished their bedrooms yet. We have Peter's done, since we were planning on a younger child. But Harley's still needs work." 

Neither of them seemed annoyed that they wouldn't meet the children right away. That was a relief; Steve and Tony didn't want to overwhelm them at first. Maria and Sarah were both hooked on one thing and that was their names. 

"Harley and Peter? Oh, we can't wait to meet them, sweethearts." Maria stood up and hugged Tony and then Steve. "Thank you for sharing this with us." 

Sarah nodded her head. "We're so proud of you both. We often wondered if you'd ever have kids of your own. We both knew you'd be the best dads. I'm glad to finally see it coming true." 

"You don't care that they're not...blood related?" Tony asked, unable to get Howard's words from his head. They stuck in his mind like flies in a web.

"Of course not, bambino," Maria whispered. "It doesn't matter if the child is your blood or not, they're still your baby. You will find that out soon enough." 

Tony smiled as his mother cupped his cheek, caressing his skin softly. Despite the aggravation Howard gave him-- or maybe, in spite of it, Tony couldn't contain his excitement. In a low voice, he admitted, "I can't wait to be a dad." 

"And I can't wait to see you be one, darling." 

\--

"Two kids-- one of them a teenager. I can't believe it," Clint said, shaking his head as he took a bite from the slice of pizza in his hand. 

"I know it’s crazy, but we met them and we fell in love,” Steve said with a tired smile. Paint was in his hair and on his clothes, and Tony could tell he needed a nice shower and some rest. Tony needed the same thing, but Steve had been in the zone when getting ready for the boys. 

They had been working around the clock trying to get the house ready for Peter and Harley’s arrival. They baby proofed everything and redid one of the guest rooms to be a bedroom for a teenager. Instead of their normal dinner nights, the gang came to their house to help finish up. 

Peter’s room was completed with a simple blue palette. He had boxes of toys for him to sort through and see what he liked. Steve and Tony really weren’t sure, so they just about bought out the nearby toy store. Harley’s room was slightly more difficult. They decided on grays for a color scheme with red accents. Instead of toys, they got him a television with an X-Box and a computer on a desk. 

Their rooms were connected with an ensuite bathroom that was also newly redecorated for a kid and a teenager. They decided not to theme it to anything because even though Peter was a kid, it was still Harley’s bathroom too, and he probably didn’t want cartoons on his shower curtain. 

It had taken their entire day to finish up the last of the finishing touches, with all of their friends’ help. Tony could only hope that the boys liked it. Though, if they didn’t, Steve wouldn't hesitate before painting it all over again. Tony knew that without a doubt. 

“What’re they like?” Wanda asked softly, placing a hand on her own stomach. She was smiling and Tony knew the motherly instincts were stretching even for these two boys she had never met yet. 

“Harley is a teenager and acts like it. Very headstrong and stubborn. But oh so protective of Peter. It’s really sweet. He kinda reminds me of Tony,” Steve shared eagerly. “Peter is quiet, and he doesn’t say much of anything really. He’s scared a lot but curious and so sweet.” 

“He doesn’t speak?” Sam asked, raising his eyebrows. He had been quiet all day, but when Tony had called to invite him to help, he didn’t hesitate to come. Tony knew at the end of the day, he supported their decision, but that dind’ mean he made it easy for them along the way. 

“So far no,” Steve said, refusing to let that mean anything. “We only know a bit of what he’s been through and it makes sense. We just have to be patient with him.” 

“What has he been through?” Natasha asked hesitantly. 

Tony and Steve exchanged a glance at the question. They hadn’t given this much information to their parents because they hadn’t asked. Maria and Sarah were ready to be grandmas, and didn’t care about their past. Or maybe Sam’s words had just made them all cautious. 

Was what they’d been though considered classified? If it wasn’t, was it even their right to tell anyone? Tony wasn’t sure the exact details, but he didn know that these people were going to be in the boys’ lives frequently. They needed to know what to watch out for so there were no unwanted triggers later on. 

“Their mother has a drug addiction. She’s in jail right now but lost custody of her children four years ago after she burnt the house down. I don’t know how much of an actual house it was, but then they were placed in a home where the mother smacked Harley around. Once she raised her hand to Peter, they left. The second home…” Tony took a steadying breath. The truth terrified him, and even when they had met that little boy, Tony couldn’t imagine how someone could sexually abuse him. Though he didn't understand how  _ anyone  _ could sexually abuse a person...it just felt a million times worse when a child was involved. That man must have been a monster. 

“Peter was molested for two years in the next home,” Steve continued for him. “Harley didn’t know until...later. Then, they got out of there again. They’re in a house with a couple obviously looking for money. They’re not happy. The place is a dump. I’m not even sure they’re fed daily.”

“Oh, my God. That’s horrible,” Wanda muttered, her eyes welling with tears. Vision held his wife closer as she fought her hormones and kissed the top of her head. 

Clint put his plate down and Tony noticed his face looked a pale shade of green. “Christ. That’s fucked up.” 

Luckily, the kids were at a smaller table too far to hear their conversation. They were too young to hear about this kind of stuff. Just as Peter was too young to live it. 

“Is the fucker in jail?” Rhodey asked in a dangerous choice. 

“I’m assuming. We didn’t get much details on the abuse, but I’m sure it’s in his file if we wanted to learn more. We just know it went on from when he was four to six.” Steve put his pizza down too and didn’t look like he was going to be eating again tonight. 

“Jail is too good for that sorry son of a bitch,” Clint growled. “Death is too easy. Lock him in a room with me and I’ll give him what he deserves that piece of shit waste of--.” He stood up from the table abruptly. Even his kids turned to see what the commotion was about. “Excuse me. I need to go outside for a few minutes.” 

The room was silent as he stood up and walked over to the kids’ table, kissing each of his children on the top of their head. They both looked at him in concern and they looked back to their mother. Laura sighed and handed the baby spoon she was using to feed Nathaniel to Bucky. She followed Clint out of the room towards the front door. No one moved until they heard the front door slam shut. 

“The poor baby,” Natasha whispered, scooting her chair closer to Bucky. 

“We know it won’t be an easy transition, and we won’t be perfect,” Steve said, glancing over at Sam, who had been very quiet during all of this. “But they’ve been passed on so many times in the past because of Harley’s age or Peter’s background...they deserve a family just as much as the other kids do.” 

“They do,” Vision agreed, still holding Wanda close. “And they’re lucky to have the both of you.” 

“Whaddya think, Sam?” Tony asked, poking the bear for an answer. “Do you think we screwed up by getting one of the kids you warned us about?”

Sam’s answer was immediate and not what Tony expected honestly. “Of course not. I don’t think these kids should be left in the system. You two have been taking this all really seriously, and I apologize for my previous words. I still...worry it might be too much, even with all of the training you’ve got now. But you’ve got us. All of us. Whenever you need it.” 

Tony looked around the table, full of smiling faces that would drop everything to help him if he asked. They loved him and they were family, even though none of them shared blood. Still, he’d bet that if he were in trouble and he called Howard and any of the people at this table, someone at this table would beat Howard to him by a landslide. Even Wanda, who was pregnant with twins and could only waddle around everywhere. 

Knowing this and having them by his side whenever he needed it, helped fill the hole left behind by a father that couldn’t care less about him. A group full of friends, his wonderful husband, two amazing mothers, and two soon-to-be-new kids...what more could he ask for?

\--

  
  


"We're never goin' back there again?" Peter asked quietly as Scott parked in front of the strange new house they'd be living in. 

"Maybe not. We behave for them and we stay." Harley unbuckled Peter even though he was able to do it himself. Harley was always doing stuff like that: cutting his food, tying his shoes, making his bed...things Peter could easily do himself, but Harley liked to do anyway.

"Do we want to stay?" Peter started to climb out of the car after Harley climbed out. 

"Of course you do!" Scott said brightly, smiling at them as he stepped onto the sidewalk. 

"He wasn't talkin' to you." Harley rolled his eyes, though there was no heat to his voice. Then he turned to Peter. "Peter, we'll see if we want to stay. You've got to tell me though if you ever feel uncomfortable." 

Scott paused and his face pinched like he was sucking on a lemon. "Harley, they're not like him." 

"We don't know that," Harley snapped. "I just want him to be careful." 

Scott raised his hands defensively. "I don't disagree. But we've done extensive research into their backgrounds and many references."

"Just like you did with him?" 

"Can we go inside now?" Peter asked, tugging on Harley's shirt. He knew when they were talking about Skip and it always made him uncomfortable. Understandably so. 

"Of course, Gizmo. Let's go." He took Peter by the hand and nodded his head to the house. "After you."

Sighing, Scott started walking and Harley followed with Peter. The house in front of them was bigger than any house they've ever lived in. Not even Skip's was this large, but it was kept the same: nice lawn, bright flowers, and the perfectly painted house. 

Scott glanced around the front yard as they walked. "There's lots of room for you guys to play out here." 

Neither Harley nor Peter answered as they walked up the porch. Peter wouldn't speak anymore now that they were knocking on a stranger's door. Scott was lucky that Peter opened up around him. It was a rare feat. 

Scott knocked in the door a few twice before letting his arm drop to wait for the door to open. 

The door opened almost instantly. "You must be Scott Lang!" 

Scott stepped inside and motioned for Harley and Peter to do the same. "I am!" He extended his hand and the bigger one shook it first. 

"Steve Rogers-Stark. And my husband, Tony Rogers-Stark." Steve let go of Scott's hand as Tony took it next. 

Steve was the taller one with the blue eyes. Tony was the smaller one with brown eyes just like Peter. Harley could remember which was which. Referring to them as “Mr. Rogers-Stark” was not only a mouthful, but also confusing since they would both have the same name. 

“The house was checked yesterday I was told, so I don’t need to go around and search through the rooms to make sure everything is adequate unless Harley or Peter would like me to,” Scott said, directing the request to them and not the two men. 

Harley shook his head. “No need, Scott. But thank you.” 

Scott nodded and smiled, turning back to Steve and Tony. “Here’s my card in case you ever need anything. I’ll return soon of course for some routine check-ins. Just to make sure the boys are adjusting well.” 

Steve took the card. “Of course, Mr. Lang. Thank you so much for everything.” 

“I should be the one thanking the both of you.” Scott smiled, looking at Harley and Peter. “I have a little bit of a soft spot for these two. I’m glad to finally see them getting a home where they will be loved and cared for like they deserve.” 

_ They had that with their mother before they ripped them away from her.  _

“You’re free to come by any time to visit,” Tony said with a smile, though his wasn’t as bright as Steve’s. 

“Thank you.” Scott turned to them again and squatted down so he was more on their level. He lowered his voice even though Steve and Tony could hear him anyway. “I’m always just a phone call away. No matter what. I promise.” 

“I know,” Harley said as Peter nodded his head. He might give Scott shit for the stupid foster crap he did, but he still liked him. Scott was one of the few adults that Harley could trust. It was always reassuring to know who they were safe with. 

He hoped that soon enough, Steve and Tony would be added to that list. 

“Good. I’ll see you boys later than. Have a good night.” He pulled them in for a group hug and Harley patted his back weakly, while Peter squeezed tightly. Scott didn’t let go until Peter was pulling backwards. 

“Goodnight, Scott. See you later.” Harley waved, watching as he stood up and walked out the door with one last look over his shoulder. When he left, Harley waited for that moment where the air changed and it grew cold. He waited for Tony and Steve to change their attitudes once the chaperone was gone and for them to call them brats and to go to another room. That was how it went for two out of the three previous homes. In the other home, there was too much affection from the start. Harley should have seen it as a sign. 

But now, there was none of that. 

Steve didn’t come over to pull them into a hug and kiss their heads. Tony didn’t backhand Harley and tell him to get out of his sight. 

It was actually kind of awkward. This was the first time it had been so awkward. Maybe that was a sign for something good. 

"Uh, so...this is your new home," Steve said, gesturing to the open layout of the living room, dining room, and kitchen. "Would you like the tour?" 

"Can we put our stuff somewhere first?" Harley asked, lifting the black garbage bag in his hand. Peter's was sitting by his feet. 

"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry-- stupid me--." 

"It's alright, love," Tony said, rubbing Steve's arm gently. "Let's show them their bedrooms first." 

Steve nodded with pink cheeks and started walking towards the hallway to the side. "Your rooms are right here. Connected with a bathroom of your very own." 

Harley raised his eyebrows. They rarely got their own bedroom, let alone their own bathroom. 

"Here's the little guy's room," Steve said, smiling softly at Peter before opening the bedroom door to the left. Both of them stepped inside and Peter looked up at him with wide eyes. 

"You can go in," Harley said softly. "It's your room." 

Peter hesitated only a second before walking in behind them. He spun in a slow circle as he looked around the room. The walls were a light blue and the rug in the middle of his room was a big soft rug. Peter dropped to his knees and ran his fingers through the carpet. He looked over his shoulder, giving Harley a smile. 

"Is that soft, Gizmo?" 

Peter nodded his head before he stood back up and hurried to the bed. There was a step stool by the bed he climbed up to get on the mattress. He fell backwards, spreading his arms and legs like he was making a snow angel on the blankets. 

"We can go shopping if you'd like," Steve said, almost quickly. He was nervous without a verbal reaction from Peter. Maybe he'd be nervous even if Peter did tell them he loved it (Harley could tell by the look in his eyes that he did love this room). "We can pick out a bedspread with your favorite movie or TV show character on it. Get matching pillows. Some stuffed animals." 

Peter stared at Steve as he spoke and nodded his head with a smile. Then he turned to Harley and made grabby hands. Harley chuckled as he brought his garbage bag to him, knowing exactly what he wanted. 

"There ya go, Pete." He ruffled Peter's hair as he started to dump everything that was inside it to his bed. There were a pair of pajamas, a few shirts, a pair of jeans, and the rest of the bag was full of teddy bears. 

"Oh, you like your bears, huh, kiddo?" Tony said, sounding a little surprised. 

Harley liked that at least Tony and Steve always spoke to Peter in the conversation even if he didn't respond. Most people spoke to Harley about Peter as if he wasn't right there. "They're all his court bears," Harley answered. "He gets a new one every time we go to family court." 

"Why don't we put these in a laundry basket?" Steve started to pick up the few pieces of clothing that Peter had. "We can wash them for you." 

Peter nodded his head and Harley knew it pained him not about to say thank you. His brother wasn't rude. But Harley knew he wouldn't speak until he felt safe. 

"Thank you, sir," Harley said on behalf of Peter. 

"Oh, no. You don't have to call me sir. Steve is fine." 

Harley just nodded his head, unable to bring himself to say that name so easily. Not when he was so conditioned to hate it ever since Steven Westcott. 

"Wanna go check out your room, Harley?" Tony asked, already in the doorway. 

"Yeah. Sure." Harley picked up his garbage bag and walked towards the door. He heard Peter's feet behind him and soon, he was grabbing Harley's awaiting hand. 

Steve followed behind them, and Harley wished he didn't feel so uneasy about not being able to see him. Steve was a good guy. While Skip had been a stand up citizen from day one of their meeting, in retrospect, it seemed off. There weren't any of those signs here with Tony or Steve. 

Tony opened his bedroom door and let Harley walk in first with Peter. Harley glanced around the room and saw the scheme they chose here was gray with some red. It wasn't too dark and dreary, but it wasn't too bright and kiddish either. 

"I like it," he said, grateful for what they had given him. Especially when his eyes landed on the flat screen television on the wall with the newest X-Box underneath it. His eyes widened as he turned to stare back at Tony and Steve. "That's…holy crap." 

"Are you an X-Box guy?" Steve asked, anxiously shifting in the doorway. "We weren't sure if you liked Playstation or X-Box. We can exchange it if you want." 

"I'm not an anything kind of guy," Harley said, his eyes sliding back to the sleek gaming console. "I've never played one before so I'm not partial to either." 

Steve's shoulders relaxed only a second before tightening again. "I'm sorry." 

Harley threw his garbage bag on his bed. There was no need to empty his with Steve and Tony watching. It was full of clothes for both him and Peter. Arching an eyebrow, he turned back to face them. "No need to apologize."

"We can take your clothes too," Steve offered after another beat of awkwardness. "We'll have them all clean by tomorrow." 

Harley really wasn't sure when they were washed last. Harley only got to wash them when their old fosters weren't home and there happened to be detergent in the laundry room. "Thank you. We'd appreciate that." 

"We'll go shopping too. For more clothes and toys and school supplies. Whatever you need. Shoes. Food! We'll need to know your favorite snacks."

The only time Harley had ever been shopping was when he shoplifted things for Peter and himself when his mother couldn't get them what they needed. He tried not to do it in foster care because they gave them enough to not be desperate and one time he had done it and gotten caught, his first foster mother had beat him so hard he couldn't sit for a week. 

"That would be nice," he said, unsure of why Steve and Tony would go through all of this for them. Did they pity them? Probably. Most people did. 

"And your room is free to be changed too, kid," Tony said, seeming much more calm than his husband. "If there's something you'd like, we'll add it." 

Harley had never had a room of his own like this before, so he didn't know if something was missing. Even his own bedroom at Skip's was probably half the size of this one and it wasn't nearly as thought out. Skip had given him four walls and a bed. Steve and Tony gave him a bedroom. "This is nice. Thank you." 

"The bathroom between your rooms is connected. I hope you don't mind sharing." 

Harley doubted they understand just what they were coming from if they thought they'd be upset about the two of them sharing a bathroom. "That's fine, Tony. We never get our own bathroom. I'd share anything and everything with Peter." 

Steve's smile softened. "Would you like the rest of the house tour before dinner or would you like to rest for a bit and get settled in your rooms?" 

Harley knew they had a tour planned and they didn't have much to settle anyway, so he said, "We'd love to see the rest of the house." 

Steve brightened. "Awesome! Let's go! I think you're gonna love the basement!" 

Harley watched as he grabbed Tony's hand and started to lead them down the hall. Peter and Harley followed close behind but as they were shown the rooms, Harley barely paid attention. He was too busy focused on Steve and Tony. 

He hasn't realized until now, until he saw them holding hands and Steve kissing Tony chastely before entering a room, that he had never seen a  _ real  _ couple like this in person before. 

He'd seen his mother with her many boyfriends, but that wasn't love. He'd seen others in the places they'd squat in between homes and he knew that wasn't love. His first fosters never even kissed in front of him and their last fosters were always arguing. 

But this...Steve and Tony loved each other. 

Harley wondered if his mother ever felt even a fraction of what Steve and Tony for either of their fathers. Probably not. 

The tour ended after they showed off the basement complete with a home theater and air hockey. 

"Wow," Harley said, looking at the couch by the giant flat screen that probably cost more than Harley would ever have. "You guys are rich rich." 

"My business is successful," Tony said, almost defensively. "Steve makes a lot of money off his paintings too. That's why he's got a studio upstairs." 

Harley must have missed that part of the tour, though it all blurred together. "I always wondered what it would be like to live in a cool house," Harley admitted. 

"Now you'll know," Tony said with a wink. "Coolest on the block. Parties thrown here are always superb." 

Harley couldn't help but grin. "Parties?" 

"Yeah. We have friends and they like to party." 

"But you're like 50." 

Tony gasped, pressing a hand to his heart. "We are not even 35! We are young, mister!" 

Peter giggled, covering his mouth with his hands. Harley wished he'd say something. Not because he didn't like the fact that he didn't talk, but because he knew Peter didn't like it. Peter loved talking. Harley just wanted him to feel comfortable. 

"I'm glad you believe me, peanut." Tony sighed, shaking his head. He liked using his nicknames already and they barely even knew each other. It was a little strange. "Tell your big brother I don't look a day over 21." 

"We don't want to teach them to lie, my love," Steve said and his teasing jab even startled a chuckle from Harley. It was nice to see him relaxed and not so stressed about impressing Peter or Harley. 

"You wound me! There's only one thing that can make me feel better." And Tony puckered his lips, waiting. Steve smiled at Tony before pulling him in for a kiss. For a moment it was like they forgot they had an audience. Harley wondered if acting that sappy was normal for them. 

"You guys are ruining my appetite," Harley said, rolling his eyes. 

"No way. Not when we've got mac and cheese and chicken fingers." Steve grabbed Tony's hand to intertwine their fingers. 

Peter clapped his hands at that. Harley smiled because Peter was excited. "The boss approves," he said. 

"Excellent. Dinner time, boys." Steve grinned before leading them out of the basement and back up to the kitchen. 

\--

Dinner went by pretty smoothly for them surprisingly. Peter still hadn't spoken a word since he stepped foot inside, but he seemed to be enjoying everything. 

Steve was already starting to pick up on his facial expressions to clue him in. His eyes especially showed  _ exactly  _ how he was feeling. 

So after dinner, when his eyelids started drooping and he let out a big yawn, Steve knew it was bedtime. 

After the dishes were brought to the sink, Steve walked back over to where Peter was practically nodding off at the table. Not that Steve blamed him; he had a long day. "I think someone's ready for sleep." 

Peter nodded his head, rubbing his eye with a balled up fist. 

"Why don't we go get you a bath and into your pajamas, little guy?" Steve asked, extending his hand for Peter. 

Within a moment, their calm night had been disrupted. It wasn't chaos but it wasn't peace either. Peter tensed and his eyes widened. Harley jumped up from his seat and shouted, "No!" 

Instantly, Steve felt like an asshole. Of course, Peter wouldn't want a strange man changing and bathing him. He felt sick at the thought of Peter or Harley worrying about Steve doing that. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean--." 

"It's fine," Harley said, his face now pale as he lifted Peter down from his booster seat. "I'll get him ready for bed. Goodnight." 

Steve hated that he ruined their good night by being so clueless. They were getting along and Peter was smiling. Now, he was terrified again. "Do you want any help? Or to be tucked in." 

"No," Harley said. "We'll be alright. Thank you, sir." 

_ Sir.  _ There was that sir again. Harley hadn't called him Steve once. Only sir. Even Tony got his name. What was Steve doing wrong? 

"If you need anything, just call. We're right here." Steve gestured to the dinner mess they had to clean up. 

"Okay." Then Harley turned to Peter and said, "Come on, Pete. Let's go."

Steve watched as they walked over to their hallway and disappeared. He let out a shaky breath as Tony came up behind him and kissed his cheek.

"It's alright, love. They're adjusting." 

"I'm messing up." 

"No," Tony disagreed. "You're trying your best and you're anxious. That's okay. Just give them time to settle and give yourself time to settle." 

"I thought I was ready," Steve admitted, "but now I feel like I'm doing everything wrong." 

"You're not doing things wrong," Tony sighed, giving him a hug. He rubbed his back soothingly and Steve couldn't believe before all of this,  _ Tony  _ was the scared one. 

"I shouldn't have said--." 

"None of that." Tony shook his head. "We'll talk to them tomorrow morning and figure this out. Today's been a lot on them. The talk will come tomorrow." 

Steve nodded his head and helped Tony clean the rest of the table. He heard Harley and Peter getting ready for bed in the bathroom before bedroom doors started opening and closing. 

He knew Harley was used to being Peter's sole guardian and having no help at bedtime. He also knew that he couldn't expect them to include Steve and Tony on the first night. 

That didn't mean it hurt any less when they went to bed without a "goodnight" from either of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be longer, but I ran behind and instead of writing today, I've been playing hours worth of Villainous. I love that card game so much and definitely recommend if you're as big of a Disney(also Marvel!) And board game fan as I am. 
> 
> Anyway! Warnings for this chapter include: a flashback of Skip though nothing is explicit i think always deserves a warning, a panic attack,

_ Harley glanced around the living room as he stood with Peter by his side. They only had one garbage bag of belongings from their previous home, but it was all they needed.  _

_ Scott had just dropped them off to their new home, and this looked a million times different then the other home.  _

_ Their new foster parent was at the door, saying his goodbyes to Scott. There was only one parent this time. Steven Westcott. He looked nice. He hadn't stopped smiling since Harley and Peter walked in. Their old fosters never smiled once. _

_ "Welcome to your new home, boys," Steven said, walking back over to them. Harley hadn't moved from the spot because he hadn't been told to. He knew what happened when he did things he wasn't supposed to, and he really didn't want to face those consequences right now.  _

_ "Thank you, sir. It looks nice." Harley waited for Steven to be standing right in front of them.  _

_ "None of that 'sir' crap. I'm Skip. And you're Harley and...Peter." He looked down at Peter with an even wider smile-- if that was even possible. "You're a cutie, aren't you?"  _

_ Peter hid behind Harley's leg at the attention. He was never big on strangers, and ever since their foster slapped him across the face, he hated all adults with the exception of Scott.  _

_ "You know, sir--." Harley stopped himself at Skip's look.  _ "Skip.  _ We're pretty tired right now. Maybe we could just head to our room and catch up on some sleep."  _

_ Skip didn't answer right away and Harley's heart started pounding  _

Mistake mistake mistake mistake. 

_ "Unless, we have some chores you'd like us to do before bed."  _

_ "No." Skip shook his head. "You're kids. No need for all that boring stuff. I have a cleaning company that comes in every Tuesday. You two don't have to worry about a thing." _

_ Harley fidgeted. He didn't like being under Skip's gaze. Why would Skip want them around if not for the free labor?  _

_ "I can see that look in your eyes." Skip looked from Harley to Peter and then back to Harley. "I'm not your old foster parents. I won't ever hit either of you. That's not my style." _

_ "Oh...uh...yeah. That's good." Harley heard Peter let out a little whimper. He needed to get some rest. They needed to be alone. "We're going to head to bed now then. If that's alright."  _

_ "Of course. I'll show you to your rooms." Skip turned around and started to lead them away. Harley was quick to follow, though he was shocked. Rooms as in plural. They never had their own rooms. In the last house, they even shared a bed. Harley didn't mind, though. He liked being close to Peter so he knew he was safe.  _

_ In fact, separating from Peter now made him feel a little uneasy.  _

_ Skip stopped at one room and opened the door. Inside wasn't much, but it was better than he'd ever had. "This is your room. You're free to make yourself at home. Empty your bag and let me know what you need. We'll go out tomorrow."  _

_ Harley glanced down at Peter. "Peter can stay with me. We don't mind sharing."  _

_ "Oh, there's no need. He's got his own room waiting for him." Skip patted him on the shoulder. "You're almost a teenager soon. I know what that means. You'll need your privacy."  _

_ Harley didn't understand that...he never had privacy. The word was foreign. He didn't need it in the first place. He just needed Peter close by. "But--."  _

_ "No, buts. I think Pete's getting sleepy. I'll bring him to his room." Skip was taking Peter's hand to lead him away.  _

_ Harley took a step forward. "I need to get him ready for bed."  _

_ "Don't you worry. I'll handle all that adult stuff. All you need to do is relax. Be a kid. Sleep." Skip winked before looking down at Peter. "Come on, Einstein. Let's get ready for bed. I've got some pajamas waiting for you after bathtime."  _

_ Peter looked over his shoulder back at Harley as he was led out of the room. Harley wanted to pick him up and hold him close. But they should behave and do as they were told. Skip wasn't asking much of them. He just wanted them to play family...and if that's what it took to keep Peter safe, then Harley would do it.  _

Harley gasped awake at the memory. He hated that he couldn't just wipe Skip's existence from his mind. 

Looking around the room, Harley remembered that this was their first night with the Rogers-Starks. That must have been what triggered that nightmare. 

Even though he was the one that got Peter ready for bed, and tucked him in, he felt uneasy. Harley was in his bed now-- so far away from Peter. He needed to see if he was okay, even though, of course--.

The door creaked open and Harley tensed. He gripped the pocket knife under his pillow. He carried it around ever since Skip just in case he needed to stop anyone stronger than him. He wouldn't win in a fight without it. 

He let go of the knife just as quickly when he recognized the sound of little feet on the floor. Harley sat up and faced the doorway where Peter was shuffling from. He was slow and hesitant; Harley could only see his shadow in the dark. "Pete? You okay?" 

Peter didn't answer until he was closer to the bed and Harley helped him up. These beds were so high with lots of storage space underneath. Peter would probably like the hiding space. "My room is dark." 

"Oh, yeah…" Harley lifted the blanket and let Peter climb in. He had his shades open slightly to let in some moonlight; Peter probably didn't know how to open his blinds. "You can sleep with me tonight." 

Peter snuggled in close to his side and sighed in relief. "Thank you, Harley." 

"You're welcome, Gizmo." Harley kissed the top of his head and pulled him in close. Now that Peter was safe and sound in his arms, Harley was able to fall asleep without another nightmare lurking in the dark waiting for him.

* * *

When Steve woke up that morning, he almost forgot that he and Tony were foster parents. It lasted only a moment though. Then he remembered it all and he smiled. 

He usually woke up early to go for a run, but today, he wanted to wake up early and go start breakfast. He wanted the first full day of their new family to start perfect. He planned to make his mother's pancakes for the boys. 

"G'morning," Tony mumbled tiredly from his spot on the bed. 

Steve turned around and kneeled on the bed. Giving Tony a smile, he leaned in close and kissed his lips. "A good morning, indeed."

Tony chuckled. "You excited, Papa Bear?" 

"I am," he said, giddy with a grin. "I'm gonna make us a great breakfast and everything." 

"Mmm pancakes?" Tony's eyes lit up.

"Yup." Steve stood back up. He walked over to his dresser and started to get dressed. "So get up and come eat. The cook wants a kiss once he's done with all of this hard work." 

"Will there be coffee?" 

"Of course." Steve rolled his eyes with a smile. "A big mug with your name on it." 

"Good. I'll be out soon then, love." 

Steve threw one of his shirts at Tony. He wanted to see him walk out of the room in his own clothing. There was something horribly domestic about the idea of him making breakfast for their kids while Tony wore his t-shirt...and Steve loved it. 

He should have gone straight to the kitchen to get ready for breakfast, but his feet-- or maybe, his heart-- brought him to the boys' highway. He stopped outside of Peter's door a moment before pushing the door open softly. He just wanted to check in and see if it was real. 

Sticking his head in the room, Steve peered in trying to see Peter's sleeping form in the bed. The light was off, but the blind was up, letting some light stream in. He should have seen the lump under the blankets. If there was a lump. But there was nothing. The bed wasn't even unmade from how Steve and Tony had it set up. 

Steve's heart started pounding in his chest. It felt like it could burst through his ribcage. Where was Peter? How was he gone already? They hadn't even had him for a night yet! Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? 

The thoughts in his mind were spinning too fast for him to think straight. But in case of a panic, he always had one thing memorized: to find Tony. 

Stumbling out of the room, he hurried right back to their bedroom. It wasn't too far away, but by the time he was back in their room, he was out of breath. 

Tony was still laying in bed, unsurprisingly. But when he heard Steve's panicked breathing, he was sitting up straight. "Babe, what's wrong?" 

Steve couldn't answer. How exactly was he supposed to tell Tony that their foster child was missing within 24 hours of guardianship. 

"Steve, breathe with me. You're okay." Tony got out of bed, the sheet falling to the floor by his feet. He took Steve's hand and placed it against his chest. "Follow my breathing. You can do it. Breathe in...and out…in...and out." 

Steve could only focus on Tony and nothing else. That made it easier for him to match his breathing with Tony. Eventually, he was calm enough to speak and be understandable. "Peter's not in his room." 

"What?" Tony's brow furrowed in confusion. 

"I went to check-- just to see him, and he's not in there. Tony, the bed is empty. It was like he never even slept and I don't know where he could go." 

"Hey, hey, it's alright," Tony said soothingly. "I know it's scary. Having the responsibility of kids suddenly, yeah?" 

Steve nodded his head weakly. 

"You don't have to be scared, though. We're in this together and it's going to be alright. When I'm worried about turning into my dickbag of a father, you're always there to reassure me. And when you freak out because the boys share a room their first night, I'm here to calm you down so you don't work yourself into a panic attack." 

"Wait, what?" Steve asked, his chest heaving up and down. 

"Did you check Harley's room?" Tony asked, brushing his fingers through Steve's soft hair. He rested his hand on the side of his face, cupping his cheek. 

"N-no," Steve said, suddenly feeling like an idiot as his heart rate calmed down. 

"That's probably where he is, love. This is a new place and the only thing that remains constant is his brother. Remember the classes?" 

Of course. Steve felt like such an idiot for not thinking of that. It was so obvious. He didn't even check, for Pete's sake. 

"Why don't we go check and see so you can know for yourself?" Tony kissed his cheek before taking Steve’s hand in his. "Come on. Then we'll have ourselves a yummy breakfast like this never happened." 

Steve hesitated. "Yeah. Okay. Please." 

Tony took him to the boys' rooms, and they went to Harley's room first. Tony lifted a finger to his lips before he pushed open the door. The shades in this room were pulled shut, but they could see them both clearly from where they stood. The light from the hallway shined on them enough for Steve to see Harley curled around Peter, who was tucked into his chest. 

Steve stared for a long moment until his heart rate was back to normal. Tony pulled him out and shut the door after them. "See? They're okay." 

"I didn't know--...I don't know why I didn't cheek," Steve admitted with flushed cheeks. He felt like an idiot. 

"Of course, you didn't know," Tony said. "You're new to this." 

"But  _ you  _ knew," Steve whispered. 

"Only because I didn't find the empty bedroom," Tony said, though Steve couldn't tell if he was saying that just to make him feel better. "You got scared. This is new and it's scary. But we've got this. We're gonna be awesome dads." 

"Last night wasn't very good. This morning isn't looking too hot either," Steve chuckled, shaking his head. 

"Today hasn't even started yet. We'll talk to the boys after breakfast, and then we'll actually feel like this thing is real." Tony gave him an encouraging smile. 

"It'll be that easy? Really?" 

"No," Tony said quickly. "Not at all. But, it's a start. A good one." 

* * *

Peter woke up nice and warm. That didn't happen a lot because of how cold their house usually was. But now, he was warm in Harley's arms. He lifted his head and sniffed loudly. Something smelled something yummy. 

"Harley," Peter whispered, shaking Harley awake. "Get up." 

Harley groaned but woke slowly. "Gizmo, I'm sleeping." 

"'M hungry!" Peter said a little bit louder but not loud enough to be heard outside of the room. 

Harley sniffed too and even he looked excited for breakfast. "Let's go eat then…" He sat up and Peter jumped up too. 

Peter waited patiently while Harley changed from his sweatpants and t-shirt to jeans and another t-shirt. Peter stayed dressed in his pajamas since his clothes were still in his room. 

Harley opened the door, and the smell of breakfast was too much to ignore. Peter couldn't just go into his room and get changed. He wanted to eat! He hurried ahead to the kitchen. 

"Pete, wait--." 

Peter didn't want to wait. He made it to the kitchen where they ate dinner last night. He saw Tony and Steve standing in the kitchen, hugging each other close as they shared a kiss. 

Peter let out a little squeal and covered his eyes in surprise. Kissing was gross! 

"Looks like we have company." 

Peter peaked through his fingers and saw them still holding each other close. He giggled and clapped his hands. 

"Oh, you want us to do it again?" Steve...that was the one with the big chest and big arms and the pretty blue eyes. 

Peter hesitated. It was gross to see them kiss, but in a nice way. He had never seen anyone kiss like that and look so in love! Like a fairytale! So he nodded his head. 

"Your wish is our command!" Steve said, dipping Tony down before kissing him again. 

Peter let out a loud giggle as he watched them. He heard Harley come up behind him. "What's so funny? Oh. Gross." 

Peter watched as Harkey took a seat at the table and noticed he had a little smile on his face. Peter liked it when Harley was happy. 

"Steve cooked breakfast for us. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs." Tony grinned at them, bringing a player to the table. "You boys hungry?" 

Peter nodded his head and hurried to his chair with the booster seat on it. He started to climb in, but Steve walked over before he could get too far up. 

"Can I help you up, little guy?" Steve asked, waiting for Peter’s answer. 

Peter looked up at him and nodded his head. 

Steve smiled and leaned down, still hesitating. "I'm going to lift you up now, Peter." 

Peter frowned. Why was he reminding him? He already knew that. He lifted his arms up and Steve picked him up, placing him on his seat. 

Harley was watching him closely and when Peter noticed, he gave him a little smile so he knew he was okay. Harley relaxed slightly. 

Tony started to fill their plates with food before the two of them sat down. 

Peter lifted his fork and started to poke around his pancakes. Steve leaned over and began to cut them into small pieces. 

"Thank you," Harley said while Peter smiled. Peter was grateful for him because he had trouble talking sometimes. He wanted to talk around Steve and Tony, but not yet...he just couldn't. 

Once they were cut up, Peter stabbed a piece with his fork and stuck it in his mouth. He moaned when he tasted how delicious it was. 

Harley began eating too and he wasn't as vocal about how much he enjoyed it, but he was eating fast. Harley didn't get enough food a lot in their last house. 

But in this house, he had dinner and breakfast. He wondered if they had lunch too. That would be so cool! 

"So how was your first night?" Tony asked after a few minutes of eating. 

"Good," Harley replied. "Peter slept in my room."

"We know," Steve said, chuckling softly. "Gave me quite the scare." 

"How'd you know?" Harley asked, slamming his fork on the table. Peter couldn't help but jump at the loud sound. 

"I went to check on him this morning and he wasn't in there," Steve explained. 

"You can't just walk into his room! He needs his privacy and--." Harley sounded upset and immediately, Peter started feeling scared. 

"I'm sorry, Harley," Steve said, softly. "I understand why you're reacting like this and I know you're just looking out for him, but trust me, I would  _ never  _ hurt Peter or you." 

"So they did tell you," Harley said. 

Peter's eyes widened and his belly started to feel sick. Harley was always a good big brother, but ever since...he was an extra good big brother. He knew that's what they were talking about. He hoped Steve and Tony did hate him. Skip always said he had to keep it a secret because if people knew, they'd hate him. 

"We were made aware of all of your past fosters before we made the arrangement to visit your old foster home for the first time," Tony said. 

All of them?! So they knew about the mean woman that hurt Harley and the evil monster that did mean things to Peter. Why did they still want him?

"And you still wanted to foster us?" Harley asked and Peter was glad he did because Peter was thinking the same thing. 

"Do you think we shouldn't have? Would you have let the two of you go because of what we learned?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"No, but…" 

"There are no buts, Harley. We want you to be our children, no matter what. And we will keep you safe. You are safe here," Steve said, looking at Harley seriously. "This is your home now and we will be here for whatever you need. If you ever want to talk about--." 

"No," Harley said quickly. "We don't need you to be our shrinks." 

"We can get you therapists if you'd like," Tony offered. Peter didn't know what a therapist was, but he'd heard the word used a lot by Scott. 

"No therapy. We're fine." Harley was staring down at his plate. 

"Alright. That's fine. We just want you to know that the option is there. Whatever you need, we will get you." Tony smiled and Peter liked his smile. He liked all smiles, actually. Except Skip. His smile was scary. 

"Are there any...things we should avoid doing?" Steve asked. "Triggers and what not." 

Harley glared at him like the question was mean, but Peter didn't understand what was so mean about it. Steve was nice. 

"We're not made of glass." 

"I know, but--." 

"I don't like being handed things," Tony said. 

"What?" 

Shrugging his shoulders, Tony said, "I want to warn you, or ask you really, to be careful not to hand me things. I'm sure, soon, we'll be at that level, but until then, I can't do that." 

That sounded silly to Peter. What was wrong with being handed things? It seemed silly, but maybe it was important to Tony.

Steve went next. "I don't like the cold. At all. I fell into a frozen lake when we were kids. Ever since then, a chill in my bones make me panic and feel like I'm back there." 

Steve had bad memories he got trapped in sometimes too? Peter had those. He hated them. 

Peter stared over at Harley, waiting for him to share. Harley sighed deeply before saying, "I don't like quick, sudden movements. Especially near me. I...I flinch easily and I'm jumpy." 

Peter narrowed his eyes, feeling angry. That mean woman was the reason he was so scared sometimes. Peter hated her for what she did to Harley. 

"And Peter...doesn't like strangers. He doesn't like talking unless it's the two of us, or he trusts you. The only other person he speaks in front of is Scott." 

Peter wasn't sure why he felt embarrassed when Harley said that and Tony and Steve looked over at him. 

"That's quite alright," Tony said. "The day will come soon when we don't feel like strangers around one another. You'll be able to hand me things, and we'll get to hear Peter's voice." 

Peter smiled when he said that, relieved that Tony wasn't upset he didn't speak. His fosters hated that he never spoke when they asked him something. Even though he thought little boys should be seen and not heard. He was doing them all a favor! 

"He's not a fan of the dark," Harley went on. "Skip would...he waited 'til night and the lights were all off. That's why he came to my room last night." 

Peter waited for them to make sounds of pity, but they didn't. They treated him just like they were treating Harley. "Understood. We can get him nightlight and this hallway light never has to be shut off." 

"He also likes to wear layers of clothing. It makes him feel safer." 

"When we go shopping today, we'll make sure he's always got layers," Tony said with a nod of his head. Shopping sounded cool. Peter couldn't remember the last time he went shopping and actually got stuff, unless it was from one of those stores where people sold their old clothes and shoes. 

"Thank you," Harley said in a quiet voice. 

"You don't have to thank us. We're just being parents." Steve shrugged his shoulders. "You're kids and we'll always look out for you from now on." 

Peter smiled. Now he had two more protective people keeping him safe. He hoped Harley liked the help now so he didn't always have to do it himself. And now, there were people to be protective over Harley! Peter wished he could speak to them so he could ask them to look out for Harley. He guessed that was already their plan though. 

Maybe for once, they'd have nice parents that loved them. 

* * *

The first few days settled into their own little routine. Harley was signed up for the high school down in town. They decided it would be best to homeschool Peter for now until he was better with strangers and speaking. 

He was so intelligent though that Steve thought if he was in actual school, he'd score out of all his grade level placement tests. He was so damn smart. He wasn't Steve's biological kid, but every time he got a question right, Steve felt nothing but a swell of pride. 

They went shopping and stocked up on drawers full of clothes that fit, and all kinds of food that the kids would enjoy. 

Peter slept in his room now that there was a nightlight to keep the room lit, though he couldn't fall asleep without  _ someone  _ by his side. Most nights it was usually Harley, but one night, it was Steve and Tony. 

Their first few days were good. Not perfect because...it couldn't be perfect. Not in barely a week's time together. Peter still hadn't said a word, though sometimes Steve caught him leaning in close to Harley in a room when no one else was there. And Harley was still closed off and irritable. 

But they were getting through it together, and even when Harley slammed the door on Steve every morning he dropped him off at school. It must have been a teenager thing. 

Just like every day that week, the car door slammed in his face and Harley stormed towards the entrance of the school. 

"How much longer is he going to do that?" Steve asked Peter as he glanced at him in the rearview mirror. 

Peter shrugged his shoulders, not that Steve was expecting a vocal response. He was used to the silence; it didn't really bother him. It wasn't like Peter was unresponsive completely. When Steve spoke, he listened. He smiled and nodded and made little sounds of reactions. Steve’s favorite was when he giggled. 

With Harley at school and Tony at work, it was usually just Steve and Peter all day. They did some school work, watched TV, played Lego, and colored. Steve  _ loved  _ having company at home while Tony was at work. 

"What's on our plan today? We've got some workbook pages to do for science, but I think we have time for a little fun before then." Steve continued to drive, heading towards Tony's shop. "How does some brunch with Tony sound?" 

Peter nodded his head, kicking his feet. 

"There's a waffle place in town that looks pretty tasty. They have a topping bar. You could make your waffle like an ice cream sundae." 

"Mmmm," Peter moaned, rubbing his belly. 

Chuckling, Steve said, "Yup. Yummy. I think I might cover mine in whipped cream. Tony's gonna pick blueberries. What about you?" 

Steve had been trying those little questions here and there to try and get a verbal response from Peter. They were always simple enough that Peter could answer them with one little word, but he could also brush them off without feeling too bad about doing so. 

This time, he just shrugged his shoulders. 

"Can't pick, huh? Your eyes are gonna be bigger than your belly when you see this place." Steve looked into the rear view mirror to see him smiling brightly back. 

Getting a sarcastic response from a moody teenager in almost every conversation and never getting any verbal response from an emotional child was worth every second all for that one smile. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was posted a little later in the day. I don't have any more pre-written chapters, and as of midnight this morning I only had 500 words written. I cranked out another 8k when I woke up...so I hope it was worth the few hours of waiting. 
> 
> You'll also notice that I changed the amount of chapters in this story to a set amount...yup that means I finally finished planning it. Now, as you all know if you've followed me on WIPs before, I usually add more to chapters and before I realize it, they're 20k words long, and I spit them up. So the amount of chapters can very well change, but for now, that's where we're at. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter include: mentions of Skip and past child abuse

"Who's comin'?" Peter asked Harley as they sat on Harley's bed. It felt weird...too normal. Harley was doing homework, marking notes in a textbook, while Peter was coloring in a notebook. They were both dressed in new clothes without a stain or rip in them. Tony and Steve were getting ready for dinner. 

Apparently, tonight was a family dinner night. Steve warned them there were going to be a few people over and if they ever got overwhelmed, they could sneak off to their rooms. "Their siblings, I think. He said it was family, but not their parents yet. So I'm assuming…" 

"Oh. Okay." Peter continued to scribble in the notebook. "Did you have fun at school today?" 

"Eh. It was fine." Harley shrugged his shoulders. School sucked, but he wasn't about to tell that to Peter. They wanted to eventually bring Peter to public school, and if Harley badmouthed it, he'd be scared to go. 

"Did you make any friends yet?" 

Harley glanced at him as he kept drawing. "No. I don't need to make friends, Pete. We won't be here long." 

Peter's eyes widened and he dropped the crayon. "Why not? Are they sending us back?" 

"No. I don't think so," Harley answered quickly. "But I'll be 18 soon." 

"In three years! That's forever!" 

"It'll be here before we know it and I have to be ready to take you away." Usually, Peter didn't argue with Harley when he said stuff like that, but now he didn't look convinced. 

"But...I've made a friend here. I think." 

"A friend? Peter, you haven't met  _ any  _ kids since we've been here. You're a little old for imaginary friends." Harley eyed him suspiciously. 

"No," Peter said slowly. "But Mr. Steve is my friend." 

Oh no. Just what Harley was afraid of. Peter getting attached. It had only been a week so far! "Peter...we barely know him."

"I'm with Mr. Steve  _ all the time!  _ We hang out while you're at school and Mr. Tony is at work. Mr. Steve even teaches me--." 

"Please stop saying his name." 

Peter went quiet and he started to chew at his fingernail. "Does he remind you of Skip?" 

Even hearing the name had Harley close to throwing up. How could Peter say these names with no reaction? Harley didn't understand. "He's not him. I don't think he'd ever do what he did. But...their names…" 

"Mr. Steve is very nice," Peter said, making Harley flinch. "He takes care of me and is never mean. He's a good dad--." 

"He is not our father," Harley warned with a sharp look. "Neither of them are our fathers. We have a mother, that's it."

"I don't remember Mom…" 

"She's been sick, but she's getting better and she'll take us back." Harley watched Peter’s face for a reaction, but it didn't look like a good one. 

"I don't really remember her. It's been a long time since I've seen her…" Peter made a face and Harley felt like he failed him and their mom. 

"She's your mother." He turned around and fumbled for the wallet he kept in his side dresser. He pulled out a small photo he had of her with him...before everything. It was even before Peter was born. He shoved the picture in Peter's hands. "See? Remember her, Gizmo?" 

Peter furrowed his brow as he stared at the photo, but he didn't see any recognition in his eyes. Harley didn't even know anything he could say that could remind him. She never had many memories with him. There were no lullabies or notes on school lunches. Every one of Peter's good childhood memories were from Harley and no one else. 

Knowing it was a lost battle, Harley put the photo back in his wallet. "Never-mind. Just...don't get so close to these guys. They're not our family. They'll never be our family." 

"But they're adopting us--."

"They're _fostering._ There's a difference," Harley pointed out, wishing Peter would understand. She was both of their mother; why didn’t Peter act like it? Before he could ask just as much, there was a knock at his bedroom door. “Who’s there?”

“Tony,” came the reply from the other side of the shut door. 

Harley rolled his eyes. He should’ve been grateful for the respect and privacy, but he didn’t want a reason to like Tony. “You can open it.” 

“Thank you,” Tony said as he pushed open the door and stuck his head inside. “Company is already here if you wanna come say hi.” 

Peter tilted his head as he stared over at Harley. Harley knew he was waiting on his approval because he would always protect him from the bad strangers. Harley doubted that any of Steve or Tony’s siblings were the bad kind. 

He closed his textbook shut and stood up, holding his hand to Peter. “I guess we can’t avoid it forever.” 

“There’s no reason to be afraid. Only a few are here, but if at any point, it gets to be too much, you can excuse yourself and it’ll be quite alright,” Tony reassured them. 

Peter nodded his head, but Harley narrowed his eyes. “You think we can’t handle meeting people?” Were they all just waiting for the little foster kids to cry at the dinner table? Well, that wouldn’t happen.

Tony looked frustrated and Harley considered it a win. “I think you’ll be okay. I know you’re both very strong. It’s just an option if you need it.” 

“Alright. Okay. Let’s go, Gizmo.” Harley walked out the door, following Tony as they walked to the kitchen where there were strangers sitting at the table. There was a pregnant woman sitting next to a lean man with eyes almost as blue as Steve’s. Across from them was another couple, a man with long hair pulled into a bun and a gorgeous woman with hair as red as her lips. Harley straightened up slightly when he saw her, pulling at the shirt he was wearing. He suddenly wished he was wearing one of the new shirts that Steve and Tony bought him. 

“Hi,” he said weakly, clearing his throat and lowering his voice-- just a bit. “I’m Harley. This is my little brother, Peter.” 

The beautiful woman answered first because Harley was still looking right at her. “Hello, Harley, I’m Natasha. You can call me Nat. And this is my husband, James.” 

Harley faltered at the word husband. Even though he knew he didn’t have much of a chance, this was still more permanent than a boyfriend. 

“Everyone calls me Bucky, kid. None of that James crap.” He waved his hand dismissively. Peter waved back timidly. 

“And I’m Wanda,” the pregnant woman said, her voice thick with an accent Harley didn’t recognize. 

“I’m her husband, Vision,” the man holding her hand said and he had an accent too, though his nationality was easily identified as British. 

“That’s a cool name,” Harley said, hating to take his eyes off of Natasha. 

Vision chuckled softly. “Cool is one word for it.” 

Peter ran forward, glancing at Vision warily before placing a hand on Wanda’s stomach. He woman laughed, but Harley felt mortified on his brother’s behalf. “Peter!” He gasped. “Oh, my God, Miss-- I’m so sorry--.” 

“It’s quite alright.” Wanda said with a soft smile. She turned to Peter and said, “There're  _ two  _ babies in there. That’s why I’m so big...not because of all the extra cookies I sneak at night.” 

Peter stared up with wide eyes before letting out a little giggle. Harley was glad that he was doing okay; even Tony looked relieved.

Harley turned back to Natasha while Peter was enamored with Wanda’s belly. He stuck a hand in his pocket, trying to play it cool. He hoped his hair wasn’t too messy. “So, are you Tony or Steve’s sister-- or are you their brother?” He added, glancing at Bucky. 

Natasha frowned. “Uh, neither. We’re just friends.” 

Harley was confused. “But they told us we’d be meeting family-- foster, of course.” None of the people in this room were family of Peter or Harley. 

Tony stepped in to clarify. “They’re family, alright. But not by blood.” 

“But…” Harley trailed off.

“Your family isn’t always blood,” Tony said in a voice like he  _ pitied  _ Harley. He could see the same matching looks from everyone else in the room. Harley couldn’t look at Natasha anymore. "Sometimes the best family are the ones you  _ choose."  _

That was kinda dumb. You couldn't just declare people your family. "I thought these were all your siblings." 

Tony shook his head. "Nope. Steve and I are both only children. Never got lucky enough to have a sibling like you and Pete." 

"Oh!" Wanda's sudden gasp thankfully distracted everyone from Harley. "They're kicking." 

Vision moved his hand to feel his wife's stomach, but he moved too fast and too close to Peter. Peter let out a little squeak and jumped away from Wanda. His chest started to rise and fall dramatically as he stared at Vision with wide wet eyes. 

Vision looked horrified of what he caused. "I'm sorry, little one. I didn't mean to frighten you." 

Harley hurried close to Peter's side when he desperately turned to look for comfort. Harley pulled him in close. "You're okay, Gizmo." 

Tony looked lost. "Uh, would you two like to--." 

Harley tensed. "We're okay." 

"It's not a problem if you need to take a break, Harley." 

Harley didn't want to need to hide after only a few minutes, but if Peter needed it, he wouldn't shame him for it. He looked down at him, lowering his voice, "You wanna go to your room, Petey?" 

Peter was struggling to get his breathing under control. It only took him a few long seconds until he was able to relax. He shook his head. 

"Alright, but if you change your mind, it's okay." 

"We doing okay in here?" Steve's voice had Harley looking at the doorway. He was smiling but looked concerned. 

Tony didn't answer and looked towards Harley and Peter. "We're alright," Harley answered for them. 

"Well, we have a few more guests if you'd like to meet them," Steve said hesitantly, glancing over at Tony. 

"More?" Harley said before he could stop himself. Jeeze. How many friends did they have? 

"Only a few more," Steve said with a smirk now that he heard they were all okay. Despite the fact that Peter was clinging to Harley still. 

That was when Harley noticed how many plates were set at the table--  _ tables.  _ There was a smaller table with only four plates next to the large table with 10 plates. "Is this some kind of party?" 

"Nope. Just a normal family dinner night," Bucky said with a smile.

Two more men walked inside after Steve. Neither of them had dates with them, Harley noticed. Unless they were each other's date. Harley felt stupid for assuming otherwise, if only mentally. 

Steve introduced them first, "This is James and Sam-- though we call James Rhodey. James and James got confused by sharing a name." 

Steve gestured to them respectfully when he announced their names so Harley knew who was who. They both smiled at him and Harley said, "I'm Harley and this is my brother, Peter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you boys," Rhodey said before walking over to give Tony a hug. He didn't try to give one to either of them, which Harley was grateful for. 

Sam only nodded his head. "Nice to meet you both." 

"Why don't we sit down and get ready to eat?" Tony suggested as some silence had fallen upon them. Harley wondered if it was always quiet or that was because of the two elephants in the room. 

"What about the Bartons?" Rhodey asked, taking a seat next to Sam. 

"Clint said he was running a little bit late," Tony explained. "By the time Steve brings out the food and we're all seated, his merry band of terrors will be here." 

Harley stood there on the side, with his hand on Peter's shoulder awkwardly. He wasn't sure where to sit; their usual table was pushed on the other side of the kitchen to four of the fourteen plates. 

"Clint is our other friend. Usually, we have dinner at his place because he has trouble getting his kids anywhere on time," Natasha explained with a soft smile on her face. 

Harley didn't have to wonder why they changed up the location of dinner. Of course they thought the foster kids would be too out of depth in a foreign house, as if they weren't already used to it. 

"We should start telling him to get places an hour before we're actually meeting," Bucky joked around, reaching for the glass of water. 

Steve saved them for any further awkwardness of just standing there. "Do you and Peter want to sit over at the kid's table? Two of Clint's kids are around your age you can get to know." 

"The  _ kid's _ table? I'm not a kid, y'know." Harley couldn't help but glance over at Natasha. He hoped she didn't hear Steve suggest otherwise. 

Tony cut in with a weird look. "Oh, yes, of course you're not a kid. We just thought Peter would want your company when he sits over there." 

Harley relaxed. Taking care of Peter wasn't embarrassing. "Alright. That's...yeah...makes sense." He led Peter over to the table and they took their seats. They felt so far from the adults, but Harley was a little glad for the break. He didn't have to pretend in front of other kids because they didn't expect anything of them. 

Steve brought over the food, which was just pizza, but it still smelled delicious. Harley couldn't complain about food when they ate more in a day here than they had for a week in their last home. 

"Hey, Stevie," Bucky said as he was handed a slice full of meatballs. "What's for dessert?" 

"I picked up some cookie dough at the store. No time for baking." Steve continued to pass out food. 

"What? But you always--." 

Bucky was cut off when Sam elbowed him. 

"Oh." 

_ He always had time before the charity cases he was fostering.  _

"Cookies sound delicious," Wanda said, leaning over to connect the kids to the conversation. "Don't you think, Peter?" 

Peter was surprised, probably that an adult was asking for his thoughts about an adult conversation. He nodded his head quickly though just as his stomach growled. His cheeks tinged pink as the rest of the room laughed. 

"How about you worry about dinner first and then we'll fill your tummy up with cookies," Steve said softly as he placed Peter's pizza in front of him. It was a plain slice, but Harley knew he was still going to have trouble with if. There was too much sauce on it. Peter didn't complain though. He just stared. 

Harley knew he was staring at a particularly large tomato chunk by the crust. He wasn't going to eat that and he was used to going hungry, so skipping a meal wouldn't bother him. 

"It's alright," Harley whispered as he used a napkin to wipe off the excessive sauce. "I got it." 

Peter leaned his head on Harley's shoulder as means of a silent thank you. Steve didn't notice as he gave a slice to Harley, and Harley was grateful for that. 

Just as Steve finished delivering slices to everyone, there was a new round of voices in the house. The door opened and they could hear the stomping of little feet as they came running to the kitchen. Harley put himself in front of Peter. 

"Uncle Steve! Uncle Tony!" A little girl with braids came running into the kitchen and ran straight into Steve. Steve lifted her up effortlessly, twirling her around with a kiss to her cheek.

"Hello, my princess!" Steve greeted. 

"Are we just chop liver?" Sam asked throwing a balled up napkin at her. 

"No!" She replied before kicking her feet to be put down. Steve lowered her and she took off, running straight past Sam to sail into Natasha's awaiting arms. "Auntie Nat!" 

"My kroshka!" She squeezed her tightly. "I've missed you!" 

She giggled in her arms. "You picked me up from school yesterday!" 

"It's been far too long!" She replied seriously. 

Which was strange. How often did they all really see each other? This was a big group to get together. 

"That little wild one is Lila," Tony said. "She's basically the human embodiment of a sugar rush. Except there's no crash." 

"Unfortunately, too true," presumably, Lila's father said from the doorway. "She sleeps with her eyes open, even." 

"This is Clint," Steve said to Harley and Peter. 

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Almost forgot you need my name." He laughed as the rest of his family followed in. "My wife Laura, our newest bundle of terror-- I mean, joy-- Nathaniel. And our oldest, Cooper." 

Harley's eyes widened slightly when he saw Cooper. He looked familiar; he'd definitely seen him before. 

Seemed as though Cooper thought the same, though his recollection was better. "Hey! You're in my history class-- and Chem too, right?" 

Harley was new to this. He'd never had a friend his age before. He never even remembered talking to one besides for an occasional kid at a fair. He usually stayed away from other foster kids. Everyone was staring as Harley replied, "Uh, yeah. That's right." 

"Awesome! Finally someone cool to talk to at this thing." 

Harley released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He didn't expect for him to be so easily accepted by another kid. Wasn't this strange for him? 

"That's just rude!" Bucky yelled. "Clint, man, why are your kids so mean?" 

"They hang around you too much," Clint answered as he took a seat with his wife. Steve carried out a high chair for them to put the baby in before getting them their pizza.

Once everyone was sitting around the table and eating, it was no longer quiet. No one was really conversing, but there were noises at every second-- cups clinking, people chewing, some burps from the guys that were groaned about from the girls. It wasn't loud and it wasn't overwhelming. It was actually really nice. 

Cooper was nice enough as they ate, though neither of them stopped eating for conversation. It wasn't awkward-- just normal. Lila, on the other hand, could barely catch a breath between words, let alone take a bite of her food. Peter didn't seem to mind his ear being chewed off by her; he was giving her his full attention and seemed invested in whatever she was talking about-- something about rainbows and applejacks? Whatever that meant, Peter was intrigued. 

"Hey, peanut," Clint said, noticing her rambling too. "Give Peter's ear a break. Eat your food." 

"But Daddy, _Peter_ isn't eating either!" She whined loudly. 

Everyone turned to look over at them. Peter quickly looked down at his untouched pizza. Harley had even tried cutting it into little pieces for him. No one usually cared if they didn't eat or not-- before Steve and Tony, at least. 

"He'll eat soon," Harley reassured them, though they were already aware of how picky Peter could be when it came to food. "He's just…" Harley really didn't have a believable excuse for him, but he didn't want anyone to think they were ungrateful for this food. 

"Does he not like it? We have other kinds. Meatball, vegetarian, pepperoni…" Tony started listing them all off on their fingers. 

"He, uh, doesn't really like the sauce," Harley explained. 

"Well, he can't skip dinner," Steve said and Harley nodded his head. 

"I know, sir, I'll get him to eat it--." 

"Oh, no no!" Steve shook his head, standing up and walking to the counter with all of the boxes. "How about a slice of calzone?" 

Harley wasn't expecting Steve to come back with something else for Peter to eat. The rest of the room thankfully went back to eating, giving them some kind of privacy. "It's dough and cheese."

Harley cut a small bite and Peter actually ate it. He grinned when he did. 

"Seems like we've got a happy customer!" Steve grinned back before going to take his seat again. 

Before he could get far, Harley said, "Thanks, Steve." 

Steve gave him a small smile. “No problem, Harley.” 

The rest of dinner went pretty well. Peter had another slice of the calzone, and Harley had three slices of pizza. He didn’t feel so bad when there were six boxes on the stove. Cooper talked to him about some project they had coming up in history, and Harley actually found himself interested in the conversation. Lila had moved on from whatever she was talking about and was now telling Peter about the time she stuffed “a million M&Ms” in her mouth. Peter giggled a few times, and Harley was happy that he had someone to talk to. His social circle was limited when he had gone to school, but now it was completely non-existent because he was home schooled. 

Harley didn’t want to admit that it was still the better choice in case of Peter’s anxiety with strangers. And Steve was taking a lot from his day to teach him instead of just dropping him off at the nearest public school. 

“Hey, you kids wanna help us make some cookies?” Laura said after dinner, holding the big tub of cookie dough. Lila stopped her conversation immediately to jump up and run over. Peter glanced up at Harley for permission, which Harley gave, before he ran over too. Most of the others helped clean up after dinner while the rest rolled cookie dough into balls and placed them on a tray. 

Peter was sneaking a spoonful of cookie dough to his mouth and Harley smiled because he thought he was being so discrete. Bucky noticed this too, and suddenly, he said loudly, “Hey! I see you!” 

It was a joke and maybe if Peter were a normal kid, he would have laughed it off. But Peter was a mixture of one part pure and two parts tragedy that made him susceptible to explosions and outbursts. This time, the tragedy won, and he let out a startled cry. He opened his mouth, as if he was about to apologize, but then he snapped it shut. The spoon fell to the ground with a clang. 

“I’m sorry, kid,” Bucky said, taking a step forward. Harley put himself between them. 

“Don’t,” he warned, not meanly. “He’ll be okay. I’ll just take him to his room.” 

Peter’s breathing was forced and quick; he was coming quick to a panic attack. Harley scooped him up in his arms and carried him away from the crowd by the stove. 

“Do you want me to come?” Steve offered. 

Harley shook his head immediately. “No. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.” They always were without adults. Adults were the ones that always made things worse.

Once they were in Peter’s bedroom with the door shut but not locked, Peter started to cry. “I’m sorry, Harley! I didn’t mean to!” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Harley said firmly. “I promise. Bucky shouldn’t have surprised you like that.” As mad as he wanted to be at Bucky for being so careless (and for being Natasha’s husband), he couldn’t be. Bucky didn’t mean to startle Peter. He didn’t know any better. 

“I--I won’t be bad again-- we--we c-can go back out,” Peter was sniffling more than he was taking in actual breaths. 

“We’re not going back out there,” Harley said. “Not until you calm down.” He leaned over and grabbed a box of tissues off of the bedside table. He pulled one out and held it to Peter’s nose. “Blow,” he instructed. 

Peter did so and they repeated the process until he wasn’t sniffling to keep the snot congested in his nose anymore. Then Harley held him close as they laid in bed. He rubbed his back soothingly as Peter’s panicked breathing slowly evened out. 

By the time Peter wasn’t crying or sniffling, the smell of cookies was coming in under the door. They smelled good. “You feeling better, Gizmo?” 

Peter nodded his head. 

“You wanna go out and get some cookies or do you wanna stay in here?” 

Peter held onto Harley tightly. “Stay here,” he mumbled. “Too much.” 

“Yeah. There were a lot of people out there...I’m sorry it overwhelmed you.” 

“I don’t want it to,” Peter whispered back. “I was having fun.” 

“Yeah?” Harley prompted, happy that at least some of it was fun for Peter. “You like your new friend?” 

“She’s nice and tells me so many things.” 

Harley laughed. “Yeah, she almost talks as much as you do.” 

Peter made a small grunt. “I don’t talk a lot.” 

“Sometimes you do,” Harley said. He missed when that was true all the time. It used to frustrate Harley to hear him talking non-stop, but once he started to quiet himself, Harley realized how much he missed it. He hoped that soon he at least opened up to Steve and Tony, if only for Peter’s comfort around the house. “But that’s alright. I love the sound of your voice.” 

Peter cuddled even closer to Harley. A few minutes later, his body grew lax, and Harley knew he had fallen asleep. He stayed a few extra minutes just in case before carefully replacing himself with a pillow for Peter and tucking him in. He kissed the top of his head before tip-toeing out of his room and heading back towards the kitchen. Those cookies smelled too good to pass up on. 

He froze just before the doorway though when he heard a conversation he probably wasn’t supposed to hear. Bucky was talking to Steve, though they weren’t being low with their voices. Harley wondered who else was an audience to  _ this  _ conversation. 

“Sorry ‘bout scaring Peter, Steve. I didn’t think.” 

_ You’re right. You didn’t think.  _

“It’s alright, Buck. You didn’t mean to scare him. I forgot to warn you about that.” 

Harley’s face scrunched up as Steve’s words echoed in his head. Just what exactly was he warning people about? Why did Harley and Peter come with warnings? Because they were  _ foster kids?  _

“I shoulda known though from what you told us. It makes sense. I even saw him flinch with Vision-- I should have been better. I’ll be more careful next time. Promise.” 

“Thank you, Bucky.” 

“I feel so bad for the kid. I ruined his night. I was just teasin’ him. Like I do with Lila and Cooper,” Bucky explained and if anything, he gained a little more respect form Harley because he was just treating the two of them like he treated the other kids. That’s all Harley wanted. 

Steve, on the other hand...he was a different story. “I think that it’s best to hold off on that for now. He’s not those two, y’know? He’s been through a lot and with his...background, this behavior is expected.” 

The conversation wasn’t over, but Harley couldn’t hear the rest of it over the pounding in his ear. He was livid at Steve’s words. Peter was more than what he went through. He wasn’t just some file in the cabinet of a social worker. He was no longer in the mood for a cookie; he was no longer in the mood to even be here. 

He turned on his feet, and marched right back into Peter’s room. He wanted to slam the door, but he didn’t want to wake Peter. So he shut it, cruising Steve in his head as he went back to his spot on the bed. He didn’t care if people were waiting for him to come back out. He stayed there with Peter in his arms. 

Steve tried coming to the door to tell him that they were watching a movie, and they were free to join if Peter was feeling better. Harley ignored him. Natasha came to the door to let Harley know that they were leaving. Harley was too embarrassed to speak, afraid his voice would break mid-sentence. Tony stopped by too after everyone had gone to say goodnight to them both, but Harley ignored him too. 

He laid there for hours until finally sleep dragged him in. 

* * *

Harley was still just as angry the next day. He gave Steve the silent treatment, only speaking to Tony. He felt satisfied when he saw the hurt in Steve’s eyes. Now he knew how his words made Harley feel-- and God forbid if Peter heard them. After Tony left for work, Steve tried to get Harley to say something, but he didn’t offer him anything. He slammed the car door shut harder than usual too. 

School was the same as always: a welcomed distraction from life. It was even a little better now that he knew Cooper was in both of his classes. He had been afraid that he wouldn’t want to talk to him after his sudden and dramatic disappearance last night, but he smiled and talked to him just as he had at the dinner table. As if nothing had happened. 

At lunch, Harley took his usual spot in the back corner and was surprised when Cooper dropped his tray on the table next to him. “Hey, dude. We got lunch together too. Perfect.” 

Harley had never had anyone to talk to at lunchtime, and having Cooper here made him feel relaxed and smile. “Hey, Cooper.” 

“Can you believe the homework we’ve got in Chem. I feel like I get stupider and stupider by the day.” Cooper sighed as he opened his milk carton by jabbing a straw against it until it poked a hole. 

“Yeah,” Harley agreed. “Chem sucks. I’m more of Robotics science kind of guy. Building stuff and working with technology.” 

“Oh, that’s neat,” Cooper said genuinely. “I’m more of baseball and football science kind of guy myself.” 

Harley laughed along with him and then it grew silent. Harley knew he didn’t have to feel guilty for what happened, but he kinda considered Cooper his friend and friends talked about stuff that was bothering them. So he sighed and said, “Listen, Coop...I’m sorry about ditching last night.” 

Cooper looked surprised that Harley was bringing it up. “Don’t worry about it, Harley. It’s all good.” 

“I wanted to come back out,” Harley explained. “But I overheard some stupid crap Steve was saying and I just got so angry I didn’t wanna see anyone.” 

Cooper frowned sympathetically. “I’m sorry about that. Sometimes parents say shit that just fucks their kids up without even realizing it.” 

“He’s not my parent,” Harley snapped, though there was no heat in his voice. 

“Right. Sorry.” Cooper pulled a piece of browning lettuce off of his burger. “What’d he say?” 

_ He’s been through a lot...with his background, his behavior is to be expected.  _

“I dunno. Just stuff about how Peter’s reaction to Bucky was expected. Like he knows about what happened to him in other homes and just  _ expects  _ him to act out. As if Peter is only made up of what’s happened to him and nothing else.” Did Steve only see a boy molested by his foster father when he looked at Peter? Did Steve only see a boy beat by his foster mother when he looked at Harley? 

“Yikes,” Cooper said before taking a moment to consider his words. “I think he’s just new to all this stuff. Adults aren’t good with things like this. They overthink and they misstep. But I think they’ve always got our best interest in mind.” 

“No they don’t,” Harley said darkly, memories of Skip taking care of Peter too fresh in his mind. 

“You’re right,” Cooper said. “But in this case, I think I’ve got it. I’ve known everyone in that room last night since I was born. Steve is a good guy, and he’s really only trying his best. I’m not defending him because he fucked up, and you don’t have to be okay with it. But he won’t know he did something wrong until you tell him how it made you feel.” 

Groaning, Harley said, “I don’t want to talk about my feelings with him. I barely want to talk to him at all.” 

“Give him a chance,” Cooper said, sounding serious. “He’s good, and you might not have a lot of experience with good adults, but he’s one of them. He might have said some things he shouldn’t have yesterday, but that’s just a parent things. My mom always tells her friends about all of the chores I forget to do and all the hours I spend on video games. You know how parents can be-- always making things dramatic.” 

Harley tried to give Cooper a smile in return, but it was fake. He hoped it didn’t seem that way. 

“Tony and Steve are good men to have as parents. One day last year I wanted to skip school to go get an autograph from a famous baseball player who was at the mall. He was only going to be there for a few hours, but my Mom and Dad said no. Technically I was grounded from cutting school the month before, but anyways-- Tony and Steve picked me up from school, signed me out, and took me to the mall to get my autograph.” 

Harley couldn’t imagine either of them doing that, but he supposed he really didn’t  _ know  _ Tony and Steve. “Seriously?” 

“Yup. Mom and Dad didn’t find out until a few weeks later when we told them. Mom claimed that she knew all along, but I think she was only saying that to keep up her ruse of being an all-seeing omniscient being. You know how moms are.” 

Again. Harley didn’t know how moms were-- he didn’t know how parents were. He didn’t have any of the basic understandings that Cooper did. He only ever had his mom, and even she didn’t care if Peter or Harley skipped school. The only reason Harley scared about getting them both there was so that Peter didn’t have to see the people she hung out with and what they did for too long. Harley dropped him off at daycare before school and picked him up afterward. He never had a parent because  _ he  _ was always the parent. 

“So,” Cooper said when Harley didn’t respond. “Your brother seems pretty cool. Gotta thank him for listening to Lila go on and on.” 

“He said he likes her,” Harley said, with a small smile. Anything about Peter could never fail to bring a smile to his face. “She’s very interesting. Most people stop talking to Peter when he doesn’t say anything in response.” 

Cooper seemed surprised. “Oh, he can talk?” 

“Yeah. He just doesn’t like to around others,” Harley explained, watching Cooper’s reaction closely. 

“Oh, gotcha,” Cooper said as if it were no big deal. Harley relaxed. “You know, if he doesn’t like talking but still wants to communicate, you should look into ASL.”

“ASL?” Harley asked, never hearing the term before.    
“American Sign Language,” Cooper clarified. “My dad is deaf, and sometimes when he turns off the cochlear implant, we sign to him. I know it’s surprising but when Lila was little, her speech was delayed, so she used signing to communicate.” 

“Yeah...that sounds like a good idea. Thank you.” 

“No problem!” Cooper said. “I’ll give you my cell number if you want and we can video chat tonight. I’ll start teaching you some basics. Even if you don’t use it with Peter, ASL is still a valuable language to know. I think everyone should know it.” 

Harley smiled easily. “That sounds great.” 

So that’s what having a friend felt like. Harley liked it. 

* * *

When Steve agreed with Tony to foster a teenager, he thought he was aware of just how quickly their moods could change. But he was wrong. It was a million times worse than he could have imagined and the moods were even more intense than anyone ever told him. 

Steve had thought that family dinner night was going well, save for a few hiccups. He didn’t understand why Harley shut himself off from them all that night after Bucky, and even the next day. Though Steve was the only one lucky enough to have that silent treatment. 

That day while Harley was in school, Steve asked Peter if Harley was mad at him. Peter shrugged his shoulders, though he did look a little sympathetic for him. Peter then drew a picture of himself, sad with a tear on his cheek underneath the words:  _ I’m sorry.  _ Steve had been quick to reassure Peter he had  _ nothing  _ to apologize for. It was hard to fight his temptation to pull the little guy into a hug. Only Harley was allowed to hug him, so far. Steve was afraid to even ask, especially after last night. 

When Steve picked Harley up from school, he was still giving him the silent treatment. He went straight into his room when he was home, dragging Peter with him, even though Peter had been in the middle of a puzzle in the living room. Steve wanted to put his foot down and tell Harley to come back out, or at least give Peter the option to, but he didn’t want to start a fight when Tony wasn’t home. He needed Tony’s support in these battles. 

By the time Tony came home though, and dinner was ready, Harley and Peter were still in Harley’s room. Tony came and pressed his lips to Steve’s; even that wasn’t enough to make him smile. 

Tony noticed immediately. “Rough day, huh?” 

Sighing, Steve replied, “Peter and I had a good enough day. He was a little more subdued than usual, but he was responsive after a few hours. Harley though...he still won’t say a word to me. And he locked him and Peter in his room since he’s been home. I don’t know what I did-- or what to do so I don’t make it worse.” 

Tony walked over to Harley’s bedroom door and knocked. “Hey, you two. Dinner’s almost ready. Can you come help Steve set the table?”

“Yeah, sure. Be right out,” Harley answered. 

Steve knew better than to trust that, but at least he was  _ talking  _ to Tony. Tony turned around to Steve and raised his eyebrows. “See? He’ll be right out. I’m going to go wash up, and then I’ll be back.” 

Steve usually liked to argue with Tony playfully about cleaning up. He loved seeing Tony in his workshop clothes, covered in motor oil and grease. But he wasn’t in the mood to flirt with his husband right now. “Alright.” 

Except Harley and Peter stayed in the room, leaving Steve to set the table all by himself. He was just putting the dinner on the table when Tony came back out. He looked surprised when he saw that the boys weren’t here. 

“They didn’t come out?” 

Steve rolled his eyes. 

Tony frowned and walked back to the door. He knocked again. “Harley, can you open the door please?” A few seconds later, he did so. “I asked you two to come help Steve.”   
“I have a lot of homework to do,” Harley replied, even though Steve could see the video game on in the room behind him. 

Tony accepted the excuse whether he actually believed it or not. “Alright. But then next time, how about you tell one of us that so that we’re not waiting please.” 

“Alright.” Harley turned to Peter who was still in the room and called, “C’mon, Gizmo. Dinner.” 

Peter came running to the doorway and Steve gave him a smile, but Peter looked away. Steve felt like someone punched him right in the stomach. He and Peter had had a good day, he thought. Harley lifted Peter up and walked right past both Tony and Steve to sit him down on his booster seat. 

Tony and Steve took a seat after them, and Steve started to dish out the dinner. Steve picked up a knife to cut up Peter’s meat, but Harley stopped him. “I’ve got it.” Those were the first words he’d said to him in over 24 hours, and he wasn’t even looking at him when he said it. 

Steve looked at Tony for help, but he was looking down at his own plate as he cut it up. Steve bit back a sigh and took a seat, eating his own dinner now, even though he had no appetite. 

“So,” Tony said after a few painfully silent moments. “How was everyone’s day today?” 

“Good,” Steve replied. “Peter and I learned a lot about adding big numbers today in math.”

“Soon, he’ll be smarter than both of us,” Tony said, winking over at Peter. Peter gave him a small smile. “What about you, Harley? Learn anything cool?” 

Harley shrugged his shoulders. There was no point in telling them what he learned in school today. What did they care? Not even Harley cared and he was the one that had to suffer through it. 

“Did anything fun happen then?” Tony asked. It was like pulling teeth. 

“Cooper sat with me at lunch today. We talked.” 

Steve smiled along with Tony. He didn’t say anything, but he was so glad that he and Cooper had gotten along so well. Especially because now Harley had a friend in school and home. 

“That sounds awesome!” Tony said before he started to go on about his day. He was telling a story about Rhodey that was making Peter giggle softly. Steve was glad to see him in higher sprites but was concerned to see that he hadn’t touched any of the food on his plate yet. 

“Hey, Pete,” Steve said when Tony ended his story. “Why aren’t you eating?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders, but of course, Harley answered with an attitude. “He doesn’t like meatloaf or string beans.” 

“I know that dinner isn’t always yummy, but please eat what’s on your plate. I don’t want you to be hungry. You need tht to grow big and strong.” Steve was trying to be as encouraging as possible without sounding condescending. 

Peter shook his head, making a face. 

“Yes, Peter,” Steve said firmly. “We had a fun day today playing with our puzzle, now it’s time to eat up dinner.” 

Peter crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face away from the table. Steve sighed and stood up, leaning over to put some meat on the fork. He tried to lift it to Peter’s mouth. “It’s super yummy. I promise.” 

Peter pressed his lips together harder and squeezed his eyes shut. 

“Peter, please eat,” Steve was starting to grow frustrated with not only Peter but the entire situation. He felt like everything was going wrong and Tony wasn’t even doing anything to help. “Tony,” he snapped suddenly. “A little back-up, please.” 

Tony raised his eyebrows. “If the kid doesn’t want to eat it, then just heat him up something else.” 

Steve’s grip tightened on the fork. “We’re not doing that.” They did that every night Peter didn’t like what was in front of him. They couldn’t always just give in. “He needs to eat.” 

Tony sighed. “Well, we can’t force the kid.” 

“I know-- I’m not--.” Steve turned his attention back to Peter. “I made this special for you, Pete. No extra seasoning, the breadcrumbs I used have  _ no  _ green stuff,” Steve reassured him. Peter hated seeing  _ green stuff  _ in his food, and Steve accommodated to that, despite how hard it was. Now he wasn’t even eating. 

While Peter continued to refuse to eat, Harley laughed as he watched the scene unfold. Steve hoped he wasn’t glaring when he turned to look at him. Harley’s grin only widened. “Gee, I hope you’re not too upset about all of this.” He leaned forward slightly before continuing, “He’s been through a lot and with his...background, this behavior is expected.” 

The words were eerily familiar and it took Steve a moment for him to realize that they were his own words. He’d said them last night to Bucky, and now Harley was throwing them right back in his face. He must have overheard their conversation. That was why he was so upset. Steve suddenly felt like an asshole. “Harley…” 

“What’s wrong? Thought this was gonna be a walk in the park to foster a moody kid and his damaged brother?”   
Steve was shaking along with his voice. “I  _ never  _ said that.” 

“No,” Harley agreed. “But you were thinking it, probably. You probably think it everyday.” 

Steve pulled his arm back, unable to look at Harley. God, he was such an idiot. “Please just...can you get your brother to eat?” 

“You can’t do it? Husband can’t either? Isn’t that what foster parents are for?” Harley didn’t move to help Peter. Steve knew he was angry, btu he wished he didn’t have to have this conversation in front of Peter, who was only growing more distraught. 

Steve was afraid to go near him and make it worse. “Please, Harley.” 

Harley groaned and turned to Peter, using his fork to offer some food to Peter. “Open up.” 

Peter shook his head. 

“Yes. C’mon. You have to eat.” Harley moved in closer and Peter tried to shove him away with his eyes still closed. Unfortunately, he didn’t shove Harley; he shoved the plate and his cup right off of the table. They both shattered to the ground and then the room went silent. 

Peter’s eyes shot open as he looked down at the broken glass on the floor. Even Harley looked surprised. Tony broke the silence first. “Alright, no one move. We don’t need glass in your feet.” 

Steve started to walk over so he could at least lift Peter off of his chair and away from the danger, but when he just barely moved his hands in Peter’s direction, Peter yelled. He used his voice and yelled. 

“Don’t hit me! Please! I’m sorry!” 

Steve froze as his eyes burned with tears. He had thought he was getting closer and closer to hearing Peter’s voice everyday that they spent together, but he never expected those to be the first words from his mouth. “I would never. I’m not going to hit you, Peter.” 

Peter was sobbing loudly now, rubbing his face with his hands. Harley moved first, crunching on the glass with his sneakers still on. “I’ve got you, Peter. It’s okay. Let’s go get cleaned up. No one’s mad at you.” 

Peter hid his face in Harley’s neck as he carried him away. Steve tried to follow. “Harley, I’m sorry. Can I--?”

Harley glared at him from the bathroom doorway. “I think you’ve done enough.” Then the door slammed shut. 

Steve wobbled back to the kitchen table and slumped in his seat. Tony put a hand on his back with a heavy sigh. “Steve...it’s not your fault.” 

“I can’t do this, Tony.”

“Yes, you can, love. It’s just a lot. You’re doing your best.” Tony continued to rub his back and Steve wished it was comforting, but truthfully, he was a little upset at Tony. 

Steve sat up, brushing Tony’s hand off of him. “Why didn’t you have my back? We’re supposed to be a team? Instead, I’m  _ always  _ the bad guy.” 

Tony looked shocked at Steve’s accusations. “What? Steve, that’s not true.” 

“Yes, it is. I’m trying my best, but they  _ hate  _ me. And they love you.” 

“They do not.” Okay, maybe love was pushing it. 

“They don’t like me at all. I’m horrible at this, and I just keep screwing up.” Steve felt like a failure. Everything he did, he did wrong. 

“I’ll talk to Harley later, okay? It’ll be okay. He’s just upset. I think everyone’s emotions are a little high right now.” 

Steve collapsed against Tony’s chest and cried. Tony kissed the top of his head and started to rub his back again. “Those weren’t the first words I wanted to hear, Tony.” 

“I know, love...I know.” 

What if Peter never spoke to them again? What if Steve had screwed up so badly that he sent them a million steps back? What if those were the only words that Peter ever spoke to them? 

_ Don’t hit me. Please.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My kroshka means "little one/a crumb" in Russian.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all so much for your reviews on the last chapter! Especially the long ones! They make me so happy. 
> 
> Here's another long one, coming in at 8.3k! 
> 
> A few warnings for this chapter: talks about child abuse, talks about trauma, howard's shitty parenting, sexual assault/rape is mentioned, Howard blames the victim (unnamed character), panic attack, mentions of Skip, anything Howard says is not thoughts/opinions of the author

The next morning when Harley woke up for breakfast, Tony and Steve were waiting in the kitchen. They tried to act like they weren’t staged, ready for Harley to come out, but Harley knew better. 

Harley thought he was going to be reprimanded for his attitude last night, but there was no yelling when he walked into the kitchen. Tony said good morning and Harley mumbled it back while Steve made his lunch. Steve and Tony exchanged a few glances before finally, Steve said, “Harley, can we talk to you before you go to school?” 

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Usually, he wasn’t given the option when he was being scolded. 

“Good. Well, first, I want to apologize,” Steve said, catching Harley off-guard. Adults never apologized for what they did wrong. “I didn’t mean for you to hear the conversation I was having with Bucky.” 

_ No: ‘you shouldn’t have been eavesdropping'?  _ That was strange. 

“Though, I do want you to know that my words were not meant maliciously. I know that doesn’t excuse my actions, but I do hope you understand that, at least.” Steve was giving him his full attention, not fidgeting or looking away as he apologized like Harley preferred to do when he had to apologize. 

Harley found himself wanting to forgive Steve becuase of how genuine he sounded. But that didn’t mean he was okay with what he did. “My brother isn’t something you can just gossip about with your friends.” 

Steve nodded. “I understand that, and that was not what we were doing. There is a difference between gossiping and making others aware of triggers to avoid for people. I only want to keep Peter safe and to do so, there needs to be a conversation.” 

Harley didn’t want there to be a conversation! He wanted it gone and out of his head. “You don’t need to keep talking about it! It happened-- just ignore it. If you keep bringing it up, it will never go away!” 

Steve frowned, taking a seat next to Harley at the kitchen island. He didn’t reach out to hold his hand or anything, but it seemed like the kind of thing Steve would do. “That’s not how trauma works, unfortunately. I wish we could all just pretend it never happened, but it’s not that simple. Peter needs to heal from it, and he needs to learn to live with it because it his past, and that’s part of him now.” 

Harley hated that it had to be part of him. Skip was a monster. Peter didn’t deserve to have him involved with him in any way. “He’s not part of him! He’s not! He’s more than his background and I’m-- I hate remembering it!” 

“That’s understandable, Harley.” Tony’s voice was calm, despite Harley’s panic. 

He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want them to comfort him. He didn’t want to want their comfort either. He stood up from the chair and took a step away from them. “Stop acting like you know what I’m going through! Stop trying to make it better!” 

“But that’s our job,” Steve said. “It’s our job as your foster parents to look out for you and protect you in any way we can.” 

“You’re not our parents,” Harley snapped. “So don’t expect us to think of you as that. I’m going to be 18 soon, and then we’ll be out of your hair for good.” 

Hurt flashed through Steve’s face before he replied, “If that’s what you want at that age, that is your choice as an adult. But right now, you’re a child and we will be your parents while you need them.” 

“I have a mom already!” 

“Hey, let’s keep our voices down, yeah? No need to wake Pete up,” Tony said. 

Harley took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright. You’re allowed to get upset,” Tony spoke again. “You’re used to shit parents, I get it--.” 

“Stop.” 

“What?”

“You don’t  _ get it,  _ Tony. Neither of you get it.” Harley was struggling to keep his voice down. “You have no idea what it’s like to be a kid like me or Peter. Your life is perfect-- you’re rich, you’ve got friends, your parents stayed in your life, you’ve got each other. Don’t try to relate to me when we couldn’t be more opposite than each other. Please.” 

Tony looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, decided against it. He just shook his head and sighed. “You’re right. I cannot understand everything you went through. But we’re more alike than you’d think. Alike enough that I could listen to you and  _ understand.  _ But I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to.” 

Harley didn’t know why he suddeny felt guilty for snapping at the both of them. 

“I’m heading to work now.” He kissed Steve’s cheek as he passed him on the way to the front door. “I love you, sweetheart. See you after work.”

“Bye, love. Have a good day.” Steve handed Tony his bagged lunch before he walked away. It was the same rountine as every morning, except today had much less smiles. 

“I’m gonna go get my backpack,” Harley said weakly, gesturing to his bedroom. 

“Have a good day at school." Steve wasn’t looking him in the eyes anymore. 

Harley should apologize for causing whatever mood this was, but he just walked out of the room. He wasn’t getting attatched. He couldn’t afford to. 

* * *

“I don’t know what to do,” Steve confessed over the phone. “I thought I was making real progress with Peter and then after Harley got to him, he didn’t even want to look at me last night.” 

“They’re siblings. Siblings always team up against the parents, trust me,” Clint responded. “Even when Cooper is in the wrong, Lila’s got his back. Which sucks for me, but I’m glad to see them being so loyal.” 

Steve was sitting in his office, avoiding all of the work he had to do for an upcoming gallery opening to talk to Clint. He needed father advice from a father, and Clint was the only one he knew. “But I don’t even know what they talk about. Harley probably told him I’m a spawn of Satan and to never trust me again.” 

“I think you’re being a little dramatic about that.” Clint chuckled. 

Steve chewed on his bottom lip, pulling off some chapped skin. “I guess.” 

“Harley is going through a lot, just like he always has. And I know you’ve heard that from everyone already,” he said quickly when Steve scoffed. “But he’s still a kid and he needs you, whether he knows it or not. You’re his father, legally. And with that being said, he’s got to start treating you as such.” 

“The word parents was mentioned this morning and he freaked,” Steve said. “He doesn’t think I’m his dad and I don’t think I should start calling myself one.” 

“You don’t need to call yourself his dad. You can remain Steve--.” 

“Sir.”

“Excuse me?”

“He calls me ‘sir’. Never Steve. Always calls Tony ‘Tony’ though, so who knows what’s that about. Just another way to show he hates me.” Steve groaned, leaning back in his chair. 

“That’s something for another time-- but, you’ve only got to act like a dad. Put your foot down, and make sure he understands that you’re in charge. Unfortunately, parents can’t be their kids best friends all the time.” 

“I’d take like one minute of the day that Harley even considered me to be a friend.” 

“He’s going to come around,” Clint said. “Teenagers are moody and they hold grudges better than anything. But he’ll come around. He’ll soften up, and when he needs a dad, you’ll be there. Just give it time.” 

“God, I hope so.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “I thought at least Peter liked me.” 

“I’m sure he still does. Go spend the day with him without Harley there affecting his judgement. Even if he disagrees with Harley, he proably always feels the need to take his side.” 

Steve let the words sink in before he asked: “Since when did you get so wise?” 

“Don’t know, but don’t come to me for advice for another 33 years, because I used it all up in this conversation.” 

Steve laughed. “Alright, if you say so. Thank you.” 

“No problem, man.” 

“Talk to you later. Bye.” 

“Good luck!” Clint sang before hanging up, leaving Steve alone again. 

Usually, he spent the next few hours in his office making calls or straightening up the house until Tony came home, but lately, he had a new buddy to keep him company. Steve was terrified that he lost him already, even if Clint didn’t think so. He hadn’t been there last night when Steve came close to Peter and Peter had begged him to not to hit him. Steve’s heart broke over and over just thinking about it. 

He could hide away in his office, but then Peter would probably hide in his own room and Steve needed to go talk to him. He needed to make sure he was okay after last night. He was only 7-years-old. He wasn’t that scary. 

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Steve stepped out of his office and walked down the hallway towards Peter’s room. He knocked on the door softly. “Pete, you up yet? Breakfast time.” 

There was no answer. Steve was conflicted. By this time, Peter was always awake and came out of his room by himself. Steve wasn’t sure how Peter would feel about him just walking into his rom without verbal permission-- something Steve didn’t think he was going to get any time soon after last night. 

Again, he tried: “Peter, you awake, bud?” He paused. “I’m opening the door, okay?” He pushed the door open and stuck his head inside hesitantly. He looked to the bed and saw Peter curled up, staring at him with wide eyes as he hugged one of his teddy bears close to his chest. “Can I come inside?” 

Peter nodded his head. 

Steve walked in, leaving the door wide open behind him. “Good morning, Pete. You feeling better this morning?” 

Peter nodded his head again. 

Steve kneeled by the bed, groaning with the effort as his knee popped. He was too young to feel this old. “I wanted to apologize to you about last night. I’m sorry for upsetting you and I’m sorry for making you panic.” 

Peter just stared up at him, still with his wide brown eyes.

“Are you mad at me?”

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation before Peter shook his head. 

Steve felt like a million pounds was lifted off of his chest. “Thank God. I was worried I messed up...Would you like to come out and join me for breakfast?”

Peter nodded his head, pulling his comforter off and following Steve out the door. He struggled to get on the high chair in front of the island that Steve lifted him to every morning. Steve wasn’t sure if he should, but he didn’t think it would hurt to ask. “Can I help you, Peter?” 

Peter nodded his head. 

“Alright, I’m just going to lift you up now,” Steve narrated as he held him under his arms and lifted him into the chair. “There you go.” Peter gave him a small smile when he was sitting and could now watch Steve make their breakfast. “Don’t play around. You know the rules of that chair,” Steve reminded. He didn’t want him falling off as Steve turned around to get the eggs from the fridge. 

What happened next shocked Steve more than Peter falling out of the chair would have. 

“I know you weren’t going to hit me.” 

Steve almost dropped the carton of eggs. Peter was speaking. Again. This time, it wasn’t in a panic. He tried to remain calm so he didn’t frighten Peter. He turned around to face him slowly. “I’m glad you knew that. I would  _ never  _ hurt you, Peter.” 

Peter was sitting with his shoulders hunched, as if he was embarassed. “I don’t know why I said it. Sometimes when I get scared, I get lost in dreams.” 

Steve put down the eggs to give Peter his full attention. “That’s normal when you’re having a panic attack,” Steve explained. “It happens to me too.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yup. You remember when I told you about why I’m scared of the cold?”

“‘Cus you fell in cold ice?” Peter tilted his head and Steve wanted to jump up and cheer. He and Peter were having a full verbal conversation!

“Yeah, well, when I get too cold sometimes, I fell like I’m back in that ice. I cry for Tony to pull me out, even when I’m not in that water. It’s a normal reaction to trauma.” 

“What’s trauma?” Peter asked curiosuly. 

“Trauma is something bad that happened to you,” Steve explained. 

“I have trauma,” Peter said sadly and Steve wasn’t sure if he was telling Steve or if it was his realization. 

“Yes, you do...but you’re very strong because of that trauma. You’re a fighter, and as you get older, you’ll learn how to cope-- how to deal with the trauma.” Steve gave him a smile. “I’m very proud of you.” 

“Why?” Peter furrowed his brow.

“Because you’re dealing with trauma right now.” 

“Right now? But I’m just sitting here!” 

“You’re sitting here and  _ talking  _ to me. You don’t talk to people you’re not comfortable with because of your trauma, and now, look at you! You’re saying so much to me.” Steve gave him thumbs up. “That’s really hard for you to do, but you’re doing it anyway.” 

“I like talking to you.” 

“So do I, buddy,” Steve said, pulling an egg from the carton. “Now...how do you like your eggs?” He had to be hungry because he skipped dinner last night. 

“Fluffy please!” 

Steve smiled. “Fluffy eggs coming right up.” 

* * *

Tony’s headache followed him from the previous night, through the day, and the entire carride home. It seemed that the universe needed a laugh and their favorite clown was the star of the show this time. 

He was late getting to work because of the talk with Harley that ended even worse than it started-- and the client that had an appointment was not happy, waiting for him. He spilt oil all over his jacket because he had been in such a rush to help the customer that he forgot to take it off. Then, one of his men dropped a wrench on his foot and his foot was now black and blue. As if it couldn’t get anyway worse, his father called him during his lunch break and spent the hour critizcing everything he did before finally telling Tony that he was invited to dinner tomorrow night. They were tired of waiting to meet the kids. Tony spent the rest of the day trying to figure out why Howard cared about meeting the kids. On the way home, he braked quickly to avoid hitting a cat, and his coffee mug tipped over from the cup holder and stained the carpet on the passenger side. 

So, yeah, Tony’s life was sucking major. 

But there was one good thing that was always there at the end of the day, whether it was good or bad. Tony pushed opened the front door with a pout and immediately called out to the house, “I need my sunshine.” 

He waited by the door until Steve popped his head in from the kitchen. He had a soft smile on his face. Tony hoped his day went better than his. “Bad day at work?” 

Tony nodded his head and stretched his arms. 

Steve chuckled before he walked over and wrapped his arms around Tony securely, holding him in a hug. Tony tucked his head into Steve’s shoulder and just enjoyed the comforting embrace until he was strong enough to let go. 

Steve moved a hand to his lower back and then the other to cup his cheek. He leaned in close, pressing their noses together. “I’m sorry you had such a bad day, babydoll.” 

“You already made it a million times better,” Tony whispered, letting his eyes flutter shut. 

“And I think I can make it even better,” Steve replied. 

Tony really doubted that. “How?” 

“Come to the kitchen and see.” Steve took his hand and started to lead him towards the kitchen. He recognized the smell almost immedaitely. “Is that blueberry pie?” He saw Peter kneeling on a stool by the counter with a pie in front of him. 

“Sure is,” Steve replied, his smile growing wider. “Your favorite.” 

Tony walked closer with Steve, inhaling the scent seeply. “What’s the special occassion?" 

“That’s a surprise,” Steve said. 

“Well, I hope it’s a good one,” Tony muttered. “Becuase I’ve got some bad news.” He looked down at Peter and managed a small smile. He was covered in flour, and the sight was adorable. Especially becuase he and Steve were in matching aprons. “Did you get any flour in that pie, squirt?”

“A little bit,” he answered. “But I sneezed and it went everywhere.” 

Tony chuckled at the thought. “Yeah, it’s pretty--.” He stopped himself when he realized what he was doing and why. He was answering Peter because Peter spoke-- he actually said something. Tony grinned so intensly it hurt as he looked over at Steve. “He’s talking?” 

“Why don’t you ask him,” Steve said with a smirk on his face. 

Tony turned back to Peter and kneeled in front of him. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue.” 

“Favorite subject in school?”

“Play time.”

“Favorite animal?”

“Shark!” 

“You’re amazing. Do you know that?”

Peter gave him a weird look. 

“Say it. Tell me you’re amazing.” 

“I’m amazing.” 

“You sure are! High five!” Tony held his hand up for Peter to hit, and he did so with a giggle. 

Steve came up beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him in close. “Now what could possibly ruin this?”

Oh. Right. Tony’s smile faltered. “Howard invited us to dinner. Couldn’t get out of it. He’s expecting us there tomorrow night.” 

The joy dropped from Steve’s face. “Oh.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Who’s Howard?” Peter asked, tilting his head in curiosity. He did that a lot, even before he started speaking, and it made Tony wonder just how many questions Peter didn’t get to ask. 

“My father.” 

“Is your father mean?”

“Yes.” 

“Does he hurt you?” Peter asked with worry filled eyes. 

“Not physically...but yes, the things he says to me are very hurtful,” Tony told him honestly. 

“He’s a bully.” Peter made an angry looking face. 

“Yes. He is.” 

“Why do you hafta see him then?” 

“It’s...complicated,” Tony answered, hoping that was enough of an answer. Peter obviously was the kid that contuned his barrage of questioning until he was content with the answers. “But don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”

“I’m more worried for you,” Peter told him, sounding sad. “You deserve a nice Daddy.” 

Tony couldn’t help but smile down at him. “Thank you, Peter. So do you.” 

Peter’s eyes danced from Tony to Steve, to Tony to Steve, and then back to Tony. He looked confused or like he wanted to ask another quesiton, but Harley interuppted him before he could. 

“What’s for dinner?”

“I ordered a pizza,” Steve answered. “Pete and I were baking, and I didn’t have time to make anything.” 

“Did you get me the cheese bread?” Peter asked, bouncing up and down. It was crazy how much talking lifted his attitude. Even Harley smiled over at Peter when he heard him talking. 

“There’s a calzone coming with your name on it, but I also ordered you something else I think you’ll like when you try it.” 

“What, you want a repeat of last night already?” Harley asked, sitting down at the table.

Peter blushed in embarassment from the mention of his behavior last night, and Tony fronwed over at Harley. He knew the kid liked to get on their nerves, but he didn’t have to bring Peter down with them. “Hey, apologize to your brother.” 

Harley looked shocked as if he really didn’t expect Tony to say that. He looked over at Tony and Tony gave him a firm frown until finally, Harley turned to Peter and said, “Sorry, Peter. I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“It’s okay, Harley.” Peter smiled at him because he would always forgive his brother, no matter what. That little guy loved with his whole heart, and he loved fiercly. 

“Something tells me Peter’s going to love it,” Steve said, sounding proud of himself. 

And late that night, when Steve put a slice of white pizza on the table in front of Peter, he tried it hesitantly and a smile broke out on his face. “Yummy!”

Steve looked over at Tony with a contagious smile. Tony could only hope that tomorrow’s dinner went just as smoothly. 

* * *

Harley didn’t like Tony or Steve because he didn’t want to. That was never the reason before for any of his fosters. Even though Skip seemed great, Harley didn’t feel like he had to actively dislike the man; there was no connection between them like there was with Steve and Tony. 

He knew Tony and Steve were genuinely good people; they really just wanted to be parents. Harley had never had that before (not even with his own mother, really), so maybe that was why he fought them so much. But Harley knew when to fight back with adults like when he gave Scott shit-- Scott was safe and Scott wouldn't hurt them. But he also knew when not to attract any more unwanted attention than necessary like when his first fosters would smack him for even speaking out of line. 

So, when they got to Tony’s parents’ house, he knew exactly what kind of people they were. Well, he knew what Maria and Sarah were like because his dad wasn’t around when they arrived. Sarah and Maria were good. They gave off such a comforting aura, that even Petre felt safe with them. 

Harley wasn’t sure if it was the fact that he felt so safe around them, or if he was just tired of being quiet after finally letting his voice free for Steve and Tony. He was a little chatterbox at home--  _ Steve and Tony’s home--,  _ seemingly making up for all of the silence he forced himself through for the last few years. 

Even still, Harley was surprised when Peter introduced himself to Maria and Sarah. 

“We’re so glad to finally meet the two of you,” Sarah said with a bright smile. She was easy to tell that she was Steve’s mother because they were almost the same person besides for their size and gender. 

“I’m sorry that Howard did this like he did…” Maria said. She was a little harder to tell that she was Tony’s mother, probably because she was so elegant and delicate, whereas Tony was wearing a shirt with a grease stain on his shoulder and his laugh was so loud, it echoed off the walls of the huge house. 

“Yeah, well, when does dear old Dad do anything right?” Tony asked with a smirk. 

Howard...Howard was one of the Bad people, Harley could tell, and he hadn’t even met him yet. He was on a work call, and he hadn’t shown his face yet, not that anyone in the room seemed to care. 

“Will Mr. Howard yell at us?” Peter asked in a quiet voice, tugging at the shirt he was wearing. He looked scared, not that Harley blamed him. They knew what mean parents were capable of. 

“Oh, no, bambino,” Maria said, reaching her hands to Peter. To everyone’s surprise, he reached back and let her pull him to her lap. He snuggled into her arms. “If he even looks at you wrong, he’ll be sleeping outside for the unforseeable future.” 

“And I’ll punch him in the face,” Steve offered, causing Harley’s eyes to widen. 

His mother was shocked by his words too. “Steven Grant!” 

His cheeks flushed red as he apologized, “Sorry, Ma. But he’s been deserving one for a while now.” 

“Gotta say I agree with my hot-headed husband,” Tony said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“We will not be so violent in front of the children,” Maria said with a warning for them both to behave. “Anywho, he will not disrespect either of you tonight. He can be very harsh with his words though, so if you ever need to take a break, feel free to step away.” 

There it was again-- everyone thought that he and Peter needed a break everytime something went wrong in life.

“Or tell him to fuck off,” Tony grumbled. Harley grinned. He liked that idea.

“Anthony Edward.” 

“Sorry, sorry. Tell him to  _ fudge  _ off. Is that better?” 

Before Maria could answer her son, they all heard the sound of feet coming up a set of stairs. Tony straightened, going still. Any sign of previous joy on his face disappeared. Harley felt like he was in danger. He wanted to take a step behind Steve, but Peter was on the other side of the room. He hurried to his side, putting himself in front of both Maria and Peter. 

Harley eyed the doorway warily and watched as a tall man, though not as tall as Steve, walked into the room. He looked more like Tony than his mother did, but there were distinct differences. Howard kept his hair gelled and neat, while Tony’s was usually always a mess (it kind of reminded Harley of Peter’s bedhead); Howard wore a suit and tie even when he was home and Tony never wore anything nicer than a non-stained band t-shirt and jeans (he didn’t own any non-stained jeans); Howard, overall, seemed incredibly unapproachable, but Tony...again, Tony was safe-- not that Harley would  _ ever  _ say that to  _ anyone.  _

Immediately, Harley knew that he had to be on his best behavior around this man. No more funny business like he gave to Steve and Tony. He hoped Peter knew that. 

“Finally, you care to grace us with your presence?” Howard asked, raising an eyebrow over at Tony. “Your mother has been waiting to meet these children.” 

Harley didn’t miss the way his lip curled in distaste when he said the word  _ children.  _

“Excuse me for not wanting them to meet you,” Tony replied, and Harley sucked in a quick breath. He waited for a blow that never came. Howard didn’t hit him-- not that Tony deserved, but that was Harley’s experience with disrespecting men like Howard. 

“What? Scared I’ll hurt their feelings?” Howard scoffed. “Hopefully, they’re not as sensitive as you, Anthony.” 

“Oh, yeah. Because  _ that’s  _ the problem.” Tony rolled his eyes. 

Harley was already standing straight as a rod, but when Howard’s gaze settled on him, he felt like even that wasn’t good enough. His breath caught in his chest and he forced it out so he didn’t panic in front of this man. He’d rather have a panic attack in front of Steve than Howard. But then again...Steve was one of the good ones...Howard wasn’t. 

“What’s your name, boy?” 

“H-Harley, sir.” His voice cracked and Harley flinched. He could see the unapproving look in Howard’s eyes. 

“How old are you, Harley?”

“Uh, 15.” 

“You don’t sound so sure. Is it a hard question?” 

Harley blinked, his throat tightening. “Yes, sir-- I mean, no--no, sir.” 

“Cut it out,” Tony growled and Harley was so wound up he winced. He glanced over to Tony to make sure that wasn’t directed at him. Was Tony telling him to stop stuttering and messing up? 

“I’m simply asking questions.” Howard waved his hand dismissively in Tony’s direction. “Where’s the other one?” 

Harley didn’t want to move. He never wanted Howard to even look at Peter. But he was more afraid of the consequences if he didn’t move. Harley took a step to the side so Howard could see where Peter was curled up in Maria’s arms, hiding his face in her neck. 

“Let me see your face, boy.” 

Peter turned so quickly in Maria’s arms, she almost dropped him. 

“Howard, leave him alone,” Tony continued, taking a step forward. 

“I haven’t done  _ anything,  _ Anthony. Stop being so damn dramatic.” He turned his attention back to Peter. “What’s your name?” 

Of course, Peter was silent. 

“Hello? Do I speak English?” 

Harley spoke up to save Peter because Harley knew that Peter wasn’t going to crack and speak to Howard. Howard felt unsafe and scary. “His name is Peter.” 

“I believe I was speaking to the child,” Howard snapped. “Can he not answer for himself? Does he not know his own name? You don’t know your age-- he doesn’t know his name. Some great choices to bear the Stark name.” His tone was obviously sarcastic. 

“We are not Starks,” Harley told him. 

“Well, that much is obvious.” Howard looked back to Peter. “How old are you?” 

Again, Harley responded, “He’s seven, sir.” 

Howard narrowed his eyes. “Why doesn’t  _ Peter _ answer me?” He took a step forward and Harley took another step closer to Peter as Howard kneeled in front of him to get on his eye level. “Are you mute or something?” 

Peter turned his head and hid in Maria’s shoulder. Maria stood up, taking Peter away from Howard. She narrowed her eyes and held Peter protectively. “We’re going to start dinner. Stay away from us. Harley, would you like to join?” 

Harley nodded his head before he could even comprehend the question. He wanted to get away from Howard and he wanted to stay near Peter. This was perfect. He followed Maria into the kitchen and once they were in the room, he could breathe a little easier. 

“I’m sorry about him. He’s always been a jerk.” Something told Harley that she was censoring herself in front of Peter. 

“It’s alright,” Harley told her. “He’s not your fault.” 

She walked over to Harley, offering Peter to him. He took him in his arms with only a small grunt; Peter was small for his age, but he wasn’t weightless. “Sometimes I think he is.” 

Harley glanced over to the doorway they just walked through. “Is he...always like that?” 

Maria nodded as she started to get dinner on the table that was already set. “Yes, unfortunately. This is one of his worse attitudes.” 

“Are Tony and Steve okay?” Harley asked, strangely worried for their safety. 

“Of course. They’re going to duke it out in there until I call them in for dinner, and Sarah will play referee. Albeit, a biased one.” Maria gave him a small smile as she continued to get dinner ready. 

Harley sat Peter down at one of the seats towards the end, far away from the head of the table, and started to help her get ready for dinner. 

Maria smiled at him when she noticed him helping. “Thank you so much, Harley. You’re a very sweet boy.” 

Harley blushed at her compliment. “You’re welcome, ma’am.” 

“Oh, no. None of that. I’m Maria-- or Nonna.” She winked over at him. 

“Nonna?”

“It’s Italian for Grandmother.” 

“Oh,” Harley said softly. 

“You call me whatever you’re comfortable with.” She patted his cheek as she walked past him and Harley thought it over. He wanted to call her Nonna--he wanted her to  _ be  _ his Grandmother, really. But he couldn’t let himself think that. They’d probably see her on holidays only, and then he’d never see her again after Harley was finally 18.

As much as Harley hated it, soon enough, they had the table ready for dinner and called the rest of them in to join. Howard took his seat at the head of the table, like Harley had predicted, and the rest of them filled in. Maria sat next to Tony, Sarah next to Steve, and Peter was on Steve’s other side. Harley sat across the table next to Tony. He wanted to sit with Peter, but he figured that in case things got too bad, he could say something to get Howard’s attention on him, away from Peter. 

But Howard didn’t say a word when they started eating. He didn’t even thank Maria for the food and getting dinner ready-- Tony thanked Steve every night before dinner. Just because Steve didn’t go to work, it didn’t mean he had any less responsibilities. Tony always acknowledged that. 

Instead, Howard turned the news on and let that distract him. Harley would have been thankful for the distraction if it had been anything other than the news that only seemed to be playing bad things going on in the world. 

_ “The mother and 2 of the 3 children did not make it out of the fire. The third is in critical condition in the hospital.”  _

Harley’s hand tightened on the fork in his hand. He could still remember the night that the fire had started in their apartment building-- the stupid thing that had gotten them taken away from their mother. Sure, they all survived it, but that was the start of it all. The first domino that fell. 

“Oh great,” Howard grumbled, catching Harley’s attention. “Another kid in the system that the state will pay for. Hey, why don’t you two go pick up another?” 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Steve asked, slamming his fork on the table. “Is it your mission in life to make sure  _ everyone  _ hates you?”

“Perhaps.” 

“God, you’re such an asshole. I hope you choke on your food,” Tony said, going back to his own food. 

Meanwhile, Harley stared down at his plate, trying to ignore the words Howard said. He was only saying them because he knew that they’d upset everyone, but it didn’t mean they hurt any less. 

The dinner table went quiet and everyone resumed eating. Harley noticed Peter wasn’t touching his food, but he didn’t want to call him out on it and draw attention to him. So he kept quiet, hoping this meal would end already. 

The news continued to play in the background, though with everyone else being silent, it was loud enough for everyone to hear loud and clear. Which was why it was impossible to avoid hearing the next story. 

_ “The young woman was on her way home from work, a street she used frequently, when the suspect attacked her. She fought him as much as she could before he sexually assaulted her in the nearest alley. Police are warning those living in the area to keep an eye out for this man and contact your local police department if you see him.”  _

Harley’s head snapped up to the screen, and he didn’t see the drawing of the suspect. He saw Skip, staring right back at him with a smirk. Harley felt like he was going to be sick as he dropped his fork to his plate. 

Tony tensed besides him. “Howard, shut this off. Now.” 

“I’m trying to watch the news, boy.” Howard put the TV  _ louder _ as the story continued. Harley could barely breathe. Did Tony and Steve tell Howard what happened to Peter too? Was he doing this just to get a reaction? 

“Howard, shut it off,” Tony’s voice sounded scary-- a voice he had never used before. 

“Come on. What does she expect going out like that? Shoulda been smarter and maybe she wouldn’t have been raped. Play stupid games, get stupid prizes.” 

“Excuse me,” Harley said, pushing himself out of his seat. He should have checked to see if Peter was alright, but he couldn’t even see straight. He just needed to get out of there before he threw up all over the table. He stumbled away from the table, hearing a commotion behind him that he chose to ignore for this own mental stability. He wasn’t sure where the nearest bathroom was that he could lock himself in, so he fell to his knees in the hallway before scrunching in a ball, holding his knees to his chin, and pressing his back against the wall. 

He was attempting to do some breathing exercises he’d learned from Scott, but they weren’t helping. Probably because even as he was out here, he wondered if Peter was okay. He didn’t know. 

A set of footsteps came closer and stopped a few feet away. Harley tensed, hoping it wasn’t Howard, even though he knew Tony and Steve would never let the man follow him. “Hey, kid.” That was Tony. Harley felt a little more relieved. “Mind having some company?” 

Harley shook his head but didn’t lift it from his knees. 

Tony came over, sitting next to him with a sigh. For a moment he just sat there, letting Harley attempt to control his crying. 

“I--I’m sorry,” he whispered through a hiccup. 

“Nothing to apologize for. I told you if you needed it, you could leave. I just wish you didn’t need to. He shouldn’t have put that stuff on and said that.” 

“I don’t want to need it,” Harley said. “I’m supposed to be strong for Peter. He didn’t even freak out!” 

“Can I put my arm around you?” Tony asked quietly. Harley surprised even himself with a nod. Wrapping an arm around Harley and pulling him in close, Tony said, “I don’t think Peter really understood what was going on. You’re older and you pick up on it. He’s safe by the way. Steve is sitting with him.” 

“Where’s Howard?”

“Finishing his dinner,” Tony said. “I was about to put his head through the television so I came here to see you instead.” 

“Shoulda put his head through it first,” Harley whispered, sniffling as he lifted his head. 

Tony chuckled. “Yeah. I should have, but I didn’t wanna scare Pete.” 

“Do we hafta go back in there?” 

“No,” Tony said immediately. “We can go home right now if you want. Or we can go back in a few minutes and have dessert.” 

“I don’t wanna just leave. Your moms are really nice. And-- and I don’t want Howard to think he won.” 

Tony grinned down at him. “You’re a lot like me, you know.” 

The words reminded Harley of the conversation they had yesterday when Harley insisted Tony was nothing like him and couldn’t possibly understand what he went through. He was starting to think he might have been wrong. “I guess there are worse people to be like.” 

“You’re a little shit, you know that, right?” Tony asked, shaking his head with a smile. 

Harley found himself smiling back. “So I’ve been told.” 

“Well, little shit, why don’t we head into the bathroom and wash up before going back in there? Maybe during dessert I’ll drop Howard’s dish on him when serving. A little accident, whoops.” 

Harley laughed.  _ “Please.”  _

“Sounds good. Let’s go.” 

Tony followed Harley into the bathroom and made small conversation while Harley wiped his eyes with cool water. They didn’t head back to the kitchen until his eyes were no longer red and swollen. He hesitated, wondering if signs of his breakdown were still obvious. He shouldn’t care what Howard thought, but he did. 

Putting his hands on Harley’s shoulders as he stared into the mirror, Tony said, “You look good, kid. If only Nat could see ya now.” 

Harley’s face burned and he watched it turn bright red in the mirror. “W-What? How did-- I don’t know what you’re talking about?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, kiddie. Your little crush on Nat is adorable. Obvious but adorable.” 

“I’m not adorable,” Harley muttered, though he wasn’t upset at Tony. He was grateful for the normal banter. 

“I think so. I don’t know if Bucky thinks it’s too adorable that you’re trying to make a move on his girl, but I think you’ve got a chance.” 

Harley groaned through the embarrassment. “You’re the worst.” He looked up suddenly. “I don’t really mean that.” 

Tony gave him a soft smile. “I know, kid. You ready to go back?” 

“Only because I can’t wait to see you spill food on him,” Harley replued honestly. “I wish I could stand up to him and just tell him to screw off-- but…” 

“I know, kid. You don’t have to explain it to me. It took me  _ years  _ to ever stand up for myself and technically, it wasn’t even really for me. Steve stood up for me first, and then Howard was being a dick to him, so I stepped in. Standing up to people like him isn’t easy to do. Doesn’t mean you have to be so hard on yourself.” 

“I guess so,” Harley said, even though it didn’t feel right. There were plenty of times that Harley could have learned to stand up for himself, but he never did. He thought it was easier to not start a confrontation that could put Peter in danger. 

He and Tony left the bathroom and walked back into the dining room. Peter was sitting in his seat with Steve by his side. Howard was in his seat too, though he wasn’t saying anything. Harley noticed the TV was not only off, but it was unplugged too. 

“Finally. Are we ready for dessert? I need to get back to work.” 

Harley hurried past Howard to sit in his seat. Tony put himself in front of Howard so his view was blocked when he sat down. 

“The women cooked dinner, seat the table, and cleared up after dinner, and you can’t even help them with dessert?” Steve asked, sounding nothing but disappointed. That was not a good sound to hear from Steve. Despite the fact that Harley liked to cause trouble with Steve, he  _ never  _ wanted to hear Steve so disappointed in him. 

“Fine! You want me to get your damn dessert.” He shoved himself up from his seat and stormed into the kitchen. He came back out with small bowls and ice cream. He started to dish chocolate and vanilla into each bowl-- without even asking what people preferred. Peter wouldn't even eat the ice cream if there was a speck of chocolate touching it. 

Harley was a little confused as to why he was even doing all of this to help; he didn’t think he would take Steve’s words seriously. Everyone else at the table seemed confused too. Especially when he started to hand them out to everyone. 

They got their answer though when everyone but Peter had their ice cream. Howard stopped behind with a bowl. “Would you like ice cream, boy?” 

He hadn’t asked anyone else if they wanted it, meerly dropped it in front of them. 

Peter nodded his head, craning his head to look up at him. 

“Use your words.” 

Peter’s lower lip wobbled as he looked up at Howard.

Howard spoke a little louder and even more condescending, if that was even possible. “Use your words or else no ice cream.” 

“Stop being a bully and just give him his ice cream,” Steve said, turning in his chair. He looked close to getting out of his chair. 

“He needs to learn. He can’t live in this world  _ mute.  _ Especially if he wants to be a Stark. He needs to act like a human being and  _ speak  _ when he is told to. If he doesn’t want to do that, then he doesn’t get ice cream. Simple as that.” 

Peter looked away from Howard, giving up on the ice cream. 

Steve picked up his bowl and asked Peter, “Which flavor do you like? I’ll split mine with you.” Peter hesitated before pointing at the vanilla side. Steve scooped it from his bowl to an empty dish in front of Peter. 

“This is why he acts like he does! You need to start punishing these kids instead of letting them get away with everything.” 

Harley flinched at the word  _ punished.  _ Punishment was never good in their life. 

“That’s it,” Tony said, standing up. “Get the hell away from Peter." 

“Excuse me?” Howard asked in a cold voice, like he dared Tony to talk back again. 

“You heard me, Howard. I’m sick of you always treating people like this. You raised me like shit, and I refuse to let my kids be raised the same way.”

“This is my home, and  _ I  _ refuse to let you speak to me like this. You’re teaching these children to act like animals.” 

“How do you know how I’m raising my kids? You’ve had one meal with us, that was mostly you ruining it. You know  _ nothing  _ about me or my family. And I’d like to keep it that way.” 

Howard scoffed. “Stop saying that. These two are not your kids.” 

Harley knew he’d been saying the same thing since Steve and Tony started fostering them, but suddenly hearing Howard say it made him feel bad. What if Harley was afraid of getting attached to Steve and Tony...only for them not to grow attached back?

God, Harley needed a break-- and some therapy. Therapy sounded really good right about now.

“They are my kids, and I won’t let them grow up like I grew up. So we’re leaving.” He turned to his mothers. “Ma, Mom...we’re leaving, but we’ll call you back tomorrow. We’ll arrange something when Howard is away. You two are always welcome to see the kids.” 

“How mature of you,” Howard sneered. 

Tony walked away from the table, and Harley followed suit. Steve stood up quickly and leaned down to Peter, whispering. He was probably getting Peter’s permission to lift him up. Peter nodded his head and Steve lifted him into his arms. Then he followed Harley and Tony out of the dining room. 

Tony got their coats and hurried them out the door before Howard could catch up, if he wanted to. He didn’t say another word until they were in the car, buckled in and almost three blocks away. “Sorry about that, boys. Howard’s a real asshole.” 

“He’s mean,” Peter whispered. Harley reached over and held his hand. 

“Very. I’m sorry you had to deal with him. I’ll keep him away from now on,” Tony promised. “I didn’t think he’d be that bad.” 

“Do they know?” Harley asked. “What we’ve been through, I mean...did you tell them?” 

“No,” Steve said. “He didn’t know...he wasn’t being spiteful. He was just being...Howard.” 

“You should have seen him after Steve’s dip in the ice. Took us to Vermont that winter to go skiing. Called Steve a pussy when he wouldn’t leave the cabin.” Tony laughed, but it didn’t sound humorous. 

Harley’s eyes widened as he looked at the back of Steve’s head. He had no idea the two of them grew up with  _ that.  _ “I’m sorry.” 

“Nothing for you to apologize for,” Steve mumbled, staring out the window. 

Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, Tony asked, “Anyone hungry? I noticed a few untouched plates tonight.” 

Peter put his hands over his stomach. “My belly feels too sick to eat.” 

Harley nodded his head. “Yeah. Same here.” 

“Alright, then we’ll head home. Watch a movie maybe with some popcorn. If you get hungry later, let me know.” 

The rest of the car ride was silent as they drove home-- no, Harley--  _ Steve and Tony’s home.  _ They changed into pajamas and met each other back in the living room. Steve and Tony sat on one end, with Steve on Peter’s side and then Harley at his other. There was a big bowl of popcorn on Steve’s lap for the movie they were going to watch. 

“Any requests?” Tony asked, flipping through Netflix. 

“Gremlins!” Peter said, unsurprisingly. It was his favorite, though it had been months since he saw it last. The last time had been in their last foster home when they played it at the local library and Harley took him. 

“Gremlins? Really? I was expecting like-- Finding Nemo or Cars or something…” Tony said, already searching for the movie. 

“It’s my favorite!” Peter announced, reaching for a handful of popcorn. He still looked a little...upset about Howard and dinner, but he seemed to be handling it okay. No tantrums or breakdowns. Harley couldn’t say the same for himself. 

“Oh, is that so?” Tony said as he bought the movie in HD instead of just renting it for cheaper. “Well, then, it will always be on this TV for you to watch whenever you’d like.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Tony!” 

“You’re welcome, Mr. Peter.” 

“Hey, Gizmo, pass some popcorn please.” 

Then it must have clicked for Tony. “Wait. Gizmo...is that where you got that nickname from? This movie?”

Harley laughed. “He’s Peter’s favorite-- and Gizmo reminds me of Peter.” 

“Harley likes to build stuff too! So it’s even better.” 

“Harley and Gizmo,” Tony repeated, smiling at Peter. “I like it.” 

“Is this really your favorite movie?” Steve asked. “Isn’t it a little scary?” 

Peter gave him a funny look. Harley shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. All this stuff is fake.” 

“Yeah, Mr. Steve. Only stuff in the real world is scary,” Peter told him, sounding like he was years older than he actually was. Those scary things that had numbed him to fictional horror were the things responsible for him sounding so mature. 

Steve realized this and he grew quiet. Harley kind of pitied him; he was still learning. Harley wished he didn’t have to try so hard to get him to give up on trying to make  _ this  _ work. 

“I just realized this is the first time we’ve all sat down to do something together that wasn’t eating,” Tony said as the movie started. 

Harley nodded his head and didn’t say anything, though the words were loud in his mind:  _ don’t get too comfortable. It won’t last.  _

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your continued support!! I'm about to go reply to all comments when I wake up tomorrow! I can't believe how many people are really enjoying this story! 
> 
> The beginning of this chapter is heavy. Peter's past with Skip is discussed more than it has been in the past, though not explicitly. It's just directly mentioned and a focus of conversation instead of being just a thought/comment. Stay safe.

Peter had been having a good amount of time with no nightmares. Especially since they moved into Steve and Tony’s house. But eating dinner at that house with that man...he was scared. He said some things that had Harley so upset he had to run away out of the room. Peter knew something bad happened to the woman on the television-- something bad-- because the news person said  _ sexually assaulted.  _

Peter recognized those words. Peter was sexually assaulted by Skip. He only knew that because after Scott pulled them out of the house, he heard those words a lot for the next few weeks. Adults tried to whisper them or keep them quiet, but Peter always heard them. And then, they even tried to make him speak to a special doctor that helped with people’s thoughts and feelings. He was the one that told him what sexually assaulted meant. All of those times that Skip touched him and told him not to tell...that was sexual assault. 

It was a grown up word and a grown up problem...Peter wasn’t sure why he had to deal with it if he was a kid. Why did Skip have to hurt him? He was only a kid. He had told him no and he had told him he didn't like it. It wasn't fair. 

He had never heard of the other grown up word that Howard used though. He said she was  _ raped.  _ Peter wondered what it meant...and if it was the same as what happened to him, then why was Howard blaming her? She didn’t want it just like Peter didn't want it. 

Did that mean what happened to Peter was  _ his  _ fault? 

Peter wasn’t sure, and he fell asleep with all of these scary thoughts in his head. He had a bad dream-- a really really bad one. He dreamed that Skip was back and he wasn’t listening when Peter said no. He didn't know why he was back. Steve and Tony were supposed to keep him safe! 

But then he woke up and realized it was a dream. He could barely breathe. He was crying so hard. He jumped out of bed-- he didn’t want to be in a bed-- and ran out of his room. He wanted to get help from someone, maybe even Harley, but he didn’t want to bother him. He had a bad night too, and he was always up early for school. Harley didn’t need to worry about Peter. 

Peter tip-toed over to the living room, making sure not to make too much noise and climbed up on the couch. It was still dark outside, but he wasn’t ready to go back to bed. He remembered Tony telling him that he could watch Gremlins any time he wanted to, so he grabbed the remote and spent a few minutes trying to get back to the movie. He found it soon enough, curled under the couch blanket, and started to watch his movie. 

He cuddled a pillow close and did his best to keep his eyes open. Whenever they started to drift shut, Skip was there, and he was awake again. Seeing the creepy monster Gremlins on TV was nowhere near as scary as seeing Skip. 

He was nearing the end of the movie when he heard noise in the kitchen. Peter peeked over the couch and watched as Steve started to make lunches for Tony and Harley. Peter wanted to run over and sit with him. Steve made him feel safe. But he wasn’t supposed to be up right now, he didn’t think. So he should probably stay over here. 

Steve was singing softly as he pulled out the bread and started to spread peanut butter on the slices. Peter rested his chin on the top of the couch and watched him, feeling safe enough to see him nearby. 

But Peter’s secret was blown when Peter accidentally sneezed. Steve froze and then looked over at him. Peter flopped down on the couch, hoping he didn't see him. When he heard footsteps coming over, he hid underneath the blanket. 

“Peter, what are you doing awake?” Steve asked when he was by the couch. How did he know Peter was here? Could he see him through the blanket? “Pete, buddy, I know you’re under there.” 

Peter peeked his head out from the blanket. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t feel like talking right now. Talking was too much and he was too tired. 

“Can I sit with you?” Steve asked quietly. 

Peter nodded his head and moved over so Steve could sit. He moved to the other side of the couch to have some room. He really liked Steve, but right now, he didn’t want to be touched. Hands on him would remind him too much of Skip. 

“Why’re you up so early?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t want to tell Steve that he had a nightmare, and he didn’t want him to know what the dream was about. 

“Are we not talking today?” 

Again, Peter only shrugged his shoulders. Maybe later Peter would want to talk. He wasn’t sure. 

“That’s quite alright if you don’t want to. I think that a nap sounds like a real good lesson today.” Steve smiled, glancing over to the television that was playing Gremlins still, almost silently. Peter knew the words without hearing them anyway. “Gremlins again, huh? You’re almost at the end.” 

Peter nodded, looking back to the television. 

“Have you been out here a long time, Peter? Since the beginning of this movie?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders again. Steve didn’t say anything else, and sat silently to watch the movie with him. He even put the volume on louder for Peter to hear. Peter leaned against the side of the couch, wishing he was brave enough to lay against Steve. 

“What’s going out here?” Tony asked, causing Peter to jump a little. He didn’t even hear him walk into the room. 

“We’re watching Gremlins. Someone woke up a little early today.” Steve looked up at him. 

“Poor kid,” Tony said, even though Peter wasn’t sure why Tony felt bad for him. He didn’t tell him that he had a nightmare. 

“I’ll finish making your lunch,” Steve offered. “Movie’s almost over.” 

“Why don’t we all go over and make some breakfast,” Tony suggested. “I’ll go wake up Harley a little early.” 

He walked away and Peter felt bad for making everyone do all of this for him. He should have stayed in his room, and hid under his bed. He would have been safe there. A few minutes later, Tony was back with Harley. He didn’t have his clothes on yet, and Peter was surprised. It usually took longer than that to wake up Harley. 

He kneeled in front of him and looked sad. Peter hated when Harley was sad. “Hey, Gizmo? Bad dream?” 

Peter didn’t move. He didn’t want Harley to know because then he would worry. 

“Is touching okay? Can I hug you?” 

Peter wanted a hug from Harley, and he knew that he was safe, but he couldn’t trust himself to be touched without getting scared. He shook his head. 

“Alright...how about we head to the kitchen and get something to eat then? You didn’t eat dinner last night and I bet you’re hungry.” Peter’s belly chose that moment to make a loud sound and he blushed. Harley laughed. “See? C’mon.” 

Peter followed Harley to the kitchen and got into his seat with only a few failed attempts. Before long, Steve was putting two toaster waffles on a plate in front of him. Harley handed him the syrup and he started to pour it on.

Steve, Tony, and Harley even joined him with waffles too to eat. He was glad to have them around. Steve cut up his waffle into small pieces for him. Peter gave him a small smile and Steve gave him a bigger one. 

“You know, I didn’t sleep too well last night,” Tony said casually as he cut up his waffles. 

Peter perked up in his seat. Really? Tony didn’t sleep well either? 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Steve said. “What was wrong?” 

“Just kept having bad dreams.” Tony shook his head. “Seeing Howard usually brings up bad things. I couldn’t sleep very well.” 

“That’s understandable,” Steve said, and Peter looked over at him. Steve didn’t think Tony was a baby for having bad dreams? “Bad dreams are normal when we have to go through something like we did last night. You know I’m here if you ever want to talk about them. Talking about nightmares make them easier to deal with.” 

“I know that,” Tony replied. “But talking about my nightmares is hard to do.” 

Peter nodded his head as Tony said that. He was saying everything that Peter was feeling! 

“That’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it now. You can wait until you’re ready. I’ll always be here for you.” Steve smiled at Tony before turning to Peter and Harley. “And we’ll always be here for the both of you if you have nightmares. I know yesterday wasn’t easy.” 

Peter hunched his shoulders, wondering if they knew he had a nightmare. “Can I ask a question?” Peter asked in a low voice. He was scared to ask this, even though he wasn’t really sure why. 

“Of course, Peter,” Steve replied with a smile. He seemed relieved that Peter was speaking. 

“What’s rape?” He asked with a tilt of his head. Steve’s eyes widened and Tony covered his mouth. Was it a bad word? He looked over at Harley, but he wasn’t looking back; he was staring down at the table with a funny face. He looked sick. “Did I say a bad word?” 

“It’s not a curse word,” Tony clarified. “Just not one we really expected to hear...especially from a kid's mouth.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Peter whispered. Maybe he should have stayed silent and not said anything. “I’ll be quiet.” 

“No!” Steve said immediately. “You don’t need to silence yourself. Rape is...a type of sexual assault.” 

Peter furrowed his brow because he already knew that much...Peter knew he was sexually assaulted, but what type? How many types were there? He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought about it. What could be worse than what Skip did? Was there anything worse?

“Was I raped?” 

Tony glanced over at Harley, who looked a little green now. Peter wondered if he was going to run off again like last night. Harley really didn’t like that word. 

“I’m sorry, Harley--.”

“Please don’t apologize, Peter,” Harley muttered. “It’s not your fault. Don’t think it is. Please. It’s not you-- I just…” 

“Alright, hey...do you want to leave the room for this conversation, Harley?” Steve asked quietly. 

“I’m fine.” 

“No one would blame you if you need to leave--.” 

“I said  _ I’m fine!”  _ Harley snapped. 

Peter hated that he put Harley in this bad mood. “Sorry for talkin’ ‘bout it…” he mumbled. 

“No apologizing. If it’s bothering you, we want to talk about it. Keeping it all in your head doesn’t help anyone.” 

Peter nodded his head over to Steve. He couldn’t promise to always talk about things, especially when they were as scary as Skip, but he could try.

"But to answer your question," Steve continued. "I don't think you were raped, no." 

"So...Skip wasn't that bad?" Peter asked with a furrowed brow. Skip could get worse? That girl on the news was treated worse than him. Should Peter feel lucky? He didn't think that anything Skip did to him made him feel lucky.

"No!" Steve said quickly. "We don't compare trauma like that. What other people go through does not make yours any better or worse."

"Whatever happened and however it makes you feel is okay. But, hopefully, we can help make those bad feelings go away." Tony gave him a small smile, but it wasn't a happy one. "We can't do that without you opening up to us and talking about it though." 

Peter looked at Harley, who couldn't even look back. Then he looked back at Steve and Tony. "Do I  _ hafta  _ talk 'bout it?" 

Steve and Tony exchanged a look. "No. Not yet. If you're not ready, you don't have to." 

"Okay. I don't wanna talk 'bout it then." 

"When you do, we'll be here waiting."

"Thank you," Peter said in a quiet voice. He didn't want to be in everyone's attention anymore. 

"I think today is a good day to take a day off from school and just relax," Steve said softly. "You two wanna take a day off today?" 

Peter didn't mind school. He liked learning with Steve, but today, he didn't want to sit and do work. He wanted to hide so Skip couldn't find him. 

"I'm alright. I'd rather go to school and just-- ignore the shit-show that is my life," Harley grumbled, standing up from the table. 

"I'll take you, kid. Let's get going before either of us are late." Tony stood up and kissed the top of Steve’s head. 

"What about you, little guy?" Steve asked, looking back at Peter. "Do you want to take a break today? We can watch movies and play games. I know you love Trouble." 

Peter wanted to go hide under his bed, but being with Steve felt safer than hiding. If Skip was going to come back, he'd rather be with Steve than under the bed. "Uh...can we still have science today? I like learning 'bout the planets." 

"Of course. That sounds like fun! Why don't we go sit on the couch with lots of blankets and watch a movie first. Nap time is whenever you fall asleep." 

Peter nodded his head, feeling exhausted. He woke up too early and needed a peaceful sleep. But he didn't have to be scared about closing his eyes when Steve was sitting on the couch with him. As long as Steve was there, he would have been okay. 

* * *

Harley's day was shit. Not even lunch with Cooper could pick his mood up. He hated knowing that Peter still suffered from what Skip did. He hated that Howard said all of that shit to him yesterday. He wanted to go back to Howard's house and punch Howard-- no beat him unconscious.

He hoped Peter was at least having a better day, and when he saw him when he got home, he was relieved to see he was.  He was in his room playing with building blocks, humming softly. Harley laid on the floor across from him and for a few minutes, only helped him stack blocks. But after a bit of comfortable silence, he said, "How was your day today, Pete?" 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “It was okay. Steve and I watched movies together, and I took a nap...and then we learned all about Neptune today.”

“That sounds fun…” Harley hesitated, wondering if he should drop it. Maybe Steve already talked to him about it, but Harley liked to be the one to check on him and makes sure he was okay. That was his job as an older brother. “Hey, Gizmo?”

“Yeah, Harley?” 

“Did you have a nightmare last night?” Harley watched as Peter froze. “You don’t have to hide anything from me, Peter. I’m not Tony or Steve.” 

Peter continued building his tower. “I don’t wanna talk ‘bout it.” 

“But I’m your older brother. You don’t have to hide--.” 

“Steve said I didn’t have to say anything if I didn’t want to!” Peter said, his voice rising in slight panic. 

“Yeah,  _ to him.  _ But I’m not him--.” 

“No, stop asking! I don’t wanna talk ‘bout it!” Peter pouted. 

Harley furrowed his brow. Peter was acting like this because of  _ Steve.  _ Before, he always told Harley how he felt. “I just want you to be able to talk to me-- like you used to.” 

Peter glared at him and grabbed an armful of blocks before crawling over to hide underneath his bed. 

Harley wished it didn’t hurt as much as it did. Peter was a kid and he got into these moods; this wasn’t the first time they argued. But it felt different with Steve and Tony being part of the reason he was going against him. “Peter, why are you hiding from me?.

“‘Cus I don’t wanna talk to you!” He shouted, though it was muffled because of the way he was hidden. 

“You don’t mean that.” 

“Yes, I do!” Peter cried out. “Leave me be!” 

“Alright!” Harley said, a little louder than he meant it to be. “I’m leaving. I’ll talk to you later when you’re not so cranky.” He stormed out of Peter’s room, leaving the door open because even though he was angry, he knew Peter didn’t like his bedroom door closed. He headed back to his room, thankful he didn’t see Steve on the way to his bedroom. Once in there, he threw himself to his bed and groaned loudly. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text from Cooper. 

**_u finish ur hw yet? I’m stuck on #4_ **

Harley rolled his eyes and typed a response that he knew Cooper probably wouldn’t like. 

**_I’m not doing it._ **

**_what? why????_ **

**_Cus_ **

His phone started ringing right away and Cooper’s contact came back up. Harley frowned before picking up. “Hello?”

“What’s wrong?” 

“What? What’re you talking about?” 

“Something’s wrong. I can tell.” 

Harley furrowed his brow. “How?”

“Because I’m your friend and I can tell when you’re upset.” That made sense why Harley wasn’t familiar with this. Cooper was kind of his first friend, save for Peter. “So I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Yeah. M’fine. Just got into a little argument with Peter,” Harley said with a sigh. 

“Sibling fights are the worst,” Cooper said. “What happened?” 

“He had a nightmare last night,” Harley said in a low voice even though he knew Peter couldn’t hear him. “Usually, he comes to me and we talk about it. But he won’t talk about it, and Peter said all of this stuff about Steve and I dunno...it’s just different.” 

“Having someone else care for him like you do is new. It’s okay to be jealous,” Cooper said. 

Harley tensed, sitting up. “I’m not jealous.” 

“You are. And that’s alright. I get jealous of my siblings sometimes too. Especially when Lila was first born and she got all our parents’ attention.” 

Harley had never needed to fight for his mother’s attention when Peter was born, and Harley had never even met Peter’s father. Harley and Peter were all each other had and Harley had been okay with that. What he wasn’t okay with was Steve and Tony in their lives, acting as if they cared. “I’m not jealous of Peter.” 

“But are you jealous of Steve and Tony?”

Was he? Harley didn’t think so. “No. I’m not.” 

Cooper didn’t sound convinced. "Alright, if you say so. But if you are; it’s okay. And I’m here if you want to talk about it.” 

“I think I’ll be--.” 

There was a knock on his door and Steve said from the other side, “Harley?”

Harley rolled his eyes. “You can come in.” 

Steve popped his head in with a small smile but hesitated when he saw the phone against Harley's ear. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were on the phone.” 

“I’m talking to Cooper ‘bout school,” he half-lied. 

Steve’s smile came back. “Oh, tell him Uncle Steve said hi.” Harley didn’t. “Tony is on his way home, and I was wondering if you could come set the table.” 

“Why don’t you ask Peter to do it?” If they were such best buds now, and Peter wanted to talk to him all the time, then he should go ask Peter-- okay, maybe he was a _little_ jealous, but it didn’t make any sense why! 

Steve frowned. “Because he can’t reach the cabinets? And he’s had a long day. He’s playing in his room for a bit.” 

“Fine,” Harley said before turning his attention back to Cooper. “I gotta go, Coop. Dinner time. I’ll text you later.” 

“Talk to you later, Harls. Do your homework.”

“Whatever.” Harley hung up and then looked at Steve, who was still at his bedroom doorway, giving him a weird smile. “What?” 

“I’m glad you and Cooper are getting along.” 

Harley rolled his eyes and repeated, “Whatever.” He stood up and walked out of his room, past Steve. “Oh, and Peter’s hiding under his bed so you might want to go fix that.” 

Harley meant it as a jab, but Steve’s face grew concerned. “Is he alright?”

“I dunno. Won’t talk to me,” Harley grumbled. 

Steve didn’t follow Harley into the kitchen. “I’ve gotta go make sure he’s okay. Can you keep your eyes on dinner on the stove while I talk to him?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Harley watched as he walked into Peter’s room and disappeared. Harley waited, expecting him to come right back out. But he didn’t. He didn’t come out until Tony was home, and Harley had the dinner on the table. Peter was smiling again and he was smiling because of  _ Steve.  _

For another time, Harley tried to pretend like it didn’t hurt as much as it did. 

And that night, when he stood outside Peter's bedroom door before bedtime, he tried to ignore the hurt he felt as he listened to Tony and Steve telling Peter bedtime stories about how they met and fell in love. What was even worse than the stories was the way that Peter looked up at them as they told them. As he spied on them, Harley couldn't help but feel like he was losing Peter to a _new_ family. 

He couldn't ignore that hurt. 

* * *

“Honey, I’m home!” Steve heard Tony call into the house. He was in the bathroom, combing his hair getting ready for his interview. Peter was sitting on the counter in front of him, watching his every brush. 

Steve smiled down at him. “Oh! Tony’s home! Wanna go say hi?”

Peter’s eyes widened. “He’s home early!” 

“Yup. He’s gonna watch on you while I’m at work.” 

Peter frowned. “I thought you work at home.” 

“Most of the time, but my gallery is opening with a new collection of paintings from a very famous artist,” he told him in an over-excited voice. Peter usually fed on his emotions and Steve enjoyed taking advantage of that. 

“What’s a gallery?”

“It’s kinda like a museum,” Steve replied. 

“Oooh,” Peter marveled. “Can I see it?” 

“Sure! I’ll take you soon. I’m going to lift you up under your arms now to lower you,” Steve narrated before doing exactly that. Once he was on the ground, Peter went running out of the room to go find Tony. Steve smiled as he followed him out. 

“There’s my little munchkin!” Tony called as Peter ran into the living room. He kneeled down to get to his height, and for a moment, Steve thought that Peter was going to run into his arms for a hug. But he stopped just in front of him. “You ready to have some fun today?”

“What we gonna do?” Peter started bouncing on his feet. 

“You know...there’s a big, empty tree in our backyard...perfect for a tree house.” 

Peter’s eyes widened dramatically. “A  _ tree house?” _

“Yup. I brought some tools from the shop. You and I are gonna make the awesomest tree house  _ ever!”  _

Peter turned to Steve and grinned. “When you come home, you wanna come up and see it?”

“Love the excitement, kiddo," Tony said with a chuckle. "But I think it’s going to take longer than a few days. That’s alright, though. I can come home during lunch, or a little early some days. We’ll have it done in a few weeks.” 

“Can we paint it pink?” Peter asked, getting more excited. Steve had never seen him more excited. 

Tony chuckled. “If you want that. We’ll paint it any color you want.” 

“Green! Orange! Purple!” Peter clapped his hands. 

“All the colors! I love it. Perfect idea.” 

Steve smiled at his boys. “You two have fun and be careful. I’m gonna get going.” Steve walked over to Tony and he stood up to press his lips to Tony’s. 

“Ew!” Peter squealed. Steve and Tony pulled away to look down at him. “Do it again! Do it again!” 

Steve obliged happily, pecking Tony’s lips a few more times before pulling away. “As much as I’d love to do this all day, I’ve got to go before I’m late. I can’t keep Edwin Gast waiting. He’s not very patient and if I upset him, my gallery will suffer.” 

“You go, babe. I love you.” Tony slapped him on the ass as he walked away and Peter giggled. 

Steve drove to the cafe he was meeting Edwin in and even though he was there a few minutes early, Edwin was already there waiting. Steve smiled as he reached the table. “Mr. Gast! It’s a pleas--.”

“How long did you expect me to wait here for you?” Edwin asked, raising an arched eyebrow. 

Steve sputtered. “I’m sorry...what?” 

_ “What?  _ I’ve been waiting here for almost three full minutes. I thought you were going to be a no show.” Edwin lifted his coffee mug to his lips, not even standing up now that Steve was here. 

Steve took the seat across from him quickly so that he didn’t leave before he even started this meeting. “Of course. I’m sorry, Mr. Gast. I really appreciate you meeting up with me. My team looks forward to including your work in our gallery.” 

“Yes, everybody does.” Edwin wasn’t even looking at Steve, he was staring down at his mug like a cup of coffee was more interesting than him. “Now, let’s go over these details so I can get going. I have many important people to see.” 

“Of course. Well, we have your art planned to be set up like this...” Steve pulled the papers from his briefcase to show him. “Your statues will be displayed here, and then your paintings here. We sorted them chronologically--.” 

“Oh, no, no.” 

Steve faltered. “I’m sorry?” 

“My paintings tell a story! They must be told in the story’s order. Give me a pen.” He held out his hand and Steve scrambled to grab one from his case. He watched as Edwin started to mark up the plans. Steve had no clue his paintings were all linked in a story-- most of them were just lines and shape. 

“Of course. My apologies.” Steve watched as he corrected it all, grateful that at least he didn’t have a tantrum and just leave. He was in the middle of his marking when he heard his cell phone ring. Steve’s eyes widened when he saw Edwin still. 

He glanced up, finally looking at Steve. “I’m sorry. Am I boring you?”

“Of course not,” Steve answered. “I just have to check and make sure it’s not an emergency.” He pulled out his phone and saw Harley’s school on the caller ID. He immediately began to worry. “It’s my son’s school. Do you mind if I take it?” 

Edwin huffed. “Very well. Be quick.”

Steve stood up and took a step away from the table to answer the phone. “Hello?” 

“Hello, Mr. Rogers-Stark. We were calling to let you know that Harley had an unverified absence in all of his classes so far today.” 

Steve furrowed his brow. “What? But, my husband dropped him off--.”

“He hasn't shown up to any of his classes,” the woman informed him again. “I just wanted you both to know he might be skipping. You know how foster children can be.”

Steve narrowed his eyes even though the woman couldn’t see him. “I do know how they can be because I am raising two. You, however, have no idea what you’re talking about so I suggest you watch your mouth! I’ll talk to him about skipping. Good day.” His voice was firm on the phone, but truthfully, Steve was terrified. Where could Harley have gone too? Why would he skip?

Edwin cleared his throat and Steve gave him a apologetic smile. Edwin had clearly heard everything he’d just said. “I'll be right there, Mr. Gast. I just have to call my husband.” He dialed Tony’s number, but it rang until it went to voicemail. Steve groaned. Tony probably didn’t have it with him in the tree or where they were building. 

Sitting back down, Steve said, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Gast, but I have to go…” 

Edwin looked deeply offended and Steve winced. “Is this a joke?”

“My son is missing, and I need to find him. You are very important to me and my team, but I hope you understand that  _ nothing  _ is more important than my son’s safety.” 

"If you walk away, what makes you think I will allow my art to be in your gallery?”

“I don’t know, but I hope that you’d understand. If not...I’d hate to lose this opportunity, but I wouldn’t change my decision.” He gathered the papers that Edwin had finished changing and shoved them in his case. “So, thank you for the brief meeting, and please call my team if you have any questions or concerns.” 

“This is strike one, Mr. Rogers-Stark. Don’t let it happen again,” he growled in a warning. 

Steve let out a breath of relief. He hadn't expected a second chance from this man. He'd heard the rumors about him, and so far, every single one of them was true. He was a pain in the ass to work with, but Steve needed his business. Having his art in his gallery would be “Of course. Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing your art.’” 

“I’ll have it sent to your home tonight.” 

Steve smiled before running out of the cafe and to his car. He knew that was so unprofessional, but he didn’t care about anything other than Harley. He heart was racing even though he knew Harley was probably fine and just skipping. He was a teenage and sometimes, teenagers rebelled. But, that didn’t mean it made him any less worried. 

He tried calling Tony again and again, but he didn’t pick up. He even called Clint to see if Cooper had skipped too, but he didn’t. Steve was driving around aimlessly, hoping to maybe run into Harley, debating on possibly calling Scott when Tony finally returned his call. 

Steve answered in a panicked voice. “Tony!” 

“Steve, baby, what’s wrong? I missed like eight of your calls.” 

“Harley’s school called me,” he said. “Harley didn’t show up to school today.” 

“What? I dropped the kid off though,” Tony sounded more frustrated than worried. 

“I know, but that doesn’t matter right now. Do you think he’s okay? I have no idea where he would even go! What if he’s in trouble? Or he’s hurt?”

“Woah, calm down, love. I’m sure he’s fine. You know we skipped class in high school too.” 

Steve sighed. “Yeah, but we weren’t kids being fostered and trying to adjust to a new life. He was upset yesterday after school. What if something’s going on at school and he doesn’t want to go?”

“When he comes home then we’ll ask him,” Tony said, sounding way too calm in this situation. 

“What if he doesn’t come home?” Steve asked, his heart racing at the very thought. 

“He didn’t run away last night. I don’t think he’s avoiding home. If anything, he’s avoiding school. Just give him his time to cool down and come home. Kids needs breaks, and he’s too proud to ask for one.” Despite Tony’s words making sense, it didn't ease all of Steve’s worrying. 

“Or he just wants to drive us crazy,” Steve muttered. “I left the meeting with Gast early because I was so worried.” 

Now, Tony sounded concerned. “What? But you said--.”

“I know. I know. He said I’ve got strike one, but at the time, I didn’t really care. I was too worried about Harley. Still am, really.” 

“Head on home and I’ll kiss away the worry. Peter and I are taking a break for tonight. I was going to see what we had for dinner.”

“So you don’t think we should call Scott?” Steve asked hesitantly. 

“What? Hell no. Steve, if we tell their social worker that Harley skipped school and we don’t know where he is, what do you think that says about us as parents?”

Steve groaned. “I know...I’m just...worried.” 

“It’s going to be okay, Steve. If he’s not home by normal time, then we’ll start a search and rescue, but I really do think he just needs his space.” 

“Okay,” Steve said, giving in. “I’ll be home soon.” He took the long way home anyway, looking down every street as if he was going to find Harley randomly. Then he took another three trips around the surrounding blocks just in case. There was no luck. 

There was no luck until 3 o’clock, exactly the time he usually came home. Steve and Tony were both waiting in the living room for him when he walked through the door. He stared at them, like he didn’t expect team to be waiting. “Uh, can I help you?” 

Steve cut to the chase. “Your school called today.” 

Harley winced. “Shit.” 

Steve looked down to Peter, who was coloring in a book by their feet. “Pete, can you head to your room while we talk to Harley?” 

Peter nodded his head before running off, and Harley watched as he ran. 

Steve patted the cushion next to him. “Come sit. Let’s talk.” 

Harley rolled his eyes and tossed his backpack to the floor. He didn’t sit next to Steve though, he leaned against the arm of the chair on Tony’s side. Steve blinked, ignoring the pang of hurt that Harley always seemed to prefer Tony over him, and cleared his throat. “Where were you today?” 

“I was just around.” 

“Around? Try to be a little more specific please,” Steve pressed. 

“Why does it matter? I’m home now.” Harley rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Steve frowned, giving Tony a moment to jump in, but he didn’t. “You cannot just skip school. We didn’t know where you were or if you had been hurt! We were worried.” 

“I’m  _ fine.  _ I can handle myself.”

“Where did you go?” 

“I just walked around the mall, okay? Sheesh. You’re so nosy,” Harley snapped. 

Finally, Tony put his two cents in. “Hey, don’t speak to my husband like that please.” 

Harley just groaned loudly. 

“If you needed a day off from school, all you had to do was ask,” Steve said calmly. “We don’t mind giving you mental health days.” 

Harley’s face scrunched up. “I don’t need a  _ mental health day.  _ That’s stupid. I’m fine.” 

“Everyone needs a mental health day sometimes, kid,” Tony said. “Just like you would stay home if you weren’t feeling well physically. Your brain deserves the same treatment. Sometimes, it needs a break.” 

“My brain doesn’t need a break!” Harley yelled. “God, what is wrong with you two? This isn’t Dr. Phil.” He started to storm away but Steve stood up. 

“Harley, we weren’t finished with our conversation yet!” 

“I don’t care! Leave me alone!” 

“I don’t think we should--.” 

“I don’t need a break from school! I need a break from  _ you!”  _ Harley shouted, his eyes angry before stomping out of the room and to his bedroom. He slammed his door shut for a good measure. 

Steve sighed and turned to Tony. “Well, that went well.” 

Tony stood up and pulled Steve into a hug. “Don’t stress it. This is normal from teenagers. He’s going through a lot.” 

“I know he is, but when is he going to start opening up to us? He hates me. He tolerates you. This is a disaster.” 

Tony chuckled, kissing his cheek. “You’re dramatic, you know that, love?” 

“Don’t patronize me,” Steve grumbled, wrapping his arms around Tony’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder. “This is serious.” 

“I would never,” he said with a laugh. 

“I don’t like you.” 

“But do you  _ tolerate  _ me?” 

“Asshole.” 

Tony kissed the top of his head. “It’s going to be okay, dear. All parents have their downs. We’re getting closer to him. Peter was the one I was really worried about and he’s doing great. I couldn’t get him to stop chatting today. He’s excited about the tree house.” 

“Peter’s doing a good job at adjusting. He talks to us...not about his past, but he talks. More than Harley does. I’m worried about what’s going on with him, and I feel like the more I try to help, the more I push him away.” 

“Welcome to teenage angst.” 

“I don’t like it.” Steve hated it, actually. He felt so helpless to a kid who was obviously hurting. Steve was supposed to be the one to take care of him. He knew that Tony acted like Harley did to Howard when they were younger, but they weren’t Howard. Steve hoped the kids thought of Sarah and Maria when they thought of them. Maybe Peter did, but not Harley. 

“It’s gonna be okay. You’ll see.” 

* * *

Harley stayed in his room all night. He didn’t want any more of Steve and Tony’s parenting. He hated that they cared. He’d ditched school plenty of times before, and no one ever cared. Why did they have to change that? 

Steve and Tony had tried to coax him out of his room for dinner, but he ignored them. He was getting ready to just go to bed when he heard a soft knock at the door. He knew that was Peter. “Come in if you’re alone.”

Peter walked inside with a granola bar in his hand. “You didn’t eat so I brought you dinner.” 

Harley patted his bed and Peter hurried over. Leaning over the mattress, Harley lifted him up to sit on the bed with him. “I don’t wanna see them right now.” 

“Did you get in trouble for not going to school? Were they mad?” Peter asked with wide eyes. 

“No. They were worried.” Harley grumbled, taking the granola bar from Peter. He had gone longer without food, but now he was getting used to regular meals and his stomach was rumbling. 

“Oh. That makes sense. Steve was scared when he came home.” Peter’s shoulders relaxed. “He had to leave his important meeting early.” 

“Cool,” Harley said with as little interest as possible. 

“Not cool, Harley. Work is important and so is school!” Peter frowned. 

“Thanks for the info, nerd.” Harley rolled his eyes. “I didn’t need him to come looking for me. Nobody has ever cared about where we are before. We don’t need them worrying now.” 

Peter chewed on his bottom lip like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure about it. 

Harley poked him gently on the belly. “You can talk to me,” he reminded him. 

After a few long seconds, Peter sighed. “I like Steve and Tony. They’re really nice.” 

Harley nodded his head. “I know. They’re good fosters to have until I can be your guardian.” 

“Tony and I are building a tree house. Steve is teaching me all the planets.” 

“That’s neat, Gizmo. I’m glad they’re so good to you. I really am.” Harley furrowed his brow. Why was Peter so bent on defending them? They were good, sure...good for temporary fosters. 

“I like to be with them. They make me happy every day.”

“Don’t I make you happy?”

Peter scrambled forward and nodded his head. Harley should pull him into his lap because as hard as physical contact was for Peter, before Skip, he relied on it. Now, Harley was the only one he let himself get that comfort from. “You do! But you’re a kid too! They’re nice parents.” 

“They’re not our parents. They’re fosters. That’s it.”

“Why? Scott says we need to find family. They’re a good family.” 

“Scott is insane!” Harley never thought he’d have to convince Peter that fosters weren’t their family. Usually, they were on the same page. “We have each other. We don’t need to replace mom. If she’s still sick for a while, I’ll take care of the both of you. We don’t need Tony and Steve.” 

Peter looked back over to his door, as if he was longing for Steve and Tony. The sight made Harley’s stomach churn. He looked back at Harley. “We’re gonna have cookies and they’re gonna read me a bedtime story.” 

“You can stay here,” Harley said. “We can have this granola bar and I’ll tell you a story.”

Peter hesitated before leaning over to kiss Harley’s cheek. “I love you, Harley. Tony and Steve are waitin’ though. You should come with me.” 

Harley couldn’t believe Peter was choosing Steve and Tony over him. “No. Go ahead. I’ve got homework to do.”

“Okay. I love you, Harley,” he said again. 

“Love you too, Gizmo.” He ruffled Peter’s hair, mustering a fake smile for him. Peter bought it though because he smiled back, climbed down his bed, and left the room without looking back. 

Harley hated that Steve and Tony were turning Peter against him and their mother-- Peter’s  _ real  _ family-- even if they didn’t realize it. Harley didn’t feel threatened by it. Soon enough, Peter would see that just like every other adult, Steve and Tony would let them down. They would break and when Peter saw they weren’t the perfect parents he'd been fooled to believe they were, he’d coming running right back to Harley. 

he

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm not really a big fan of this chapter. Something feels off about it and I'm left :/ as I post it. But I hope you enjoyed it more than I did and it was worth the wait!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I knew how I can possibly get at least 5k written every 3 days, but back in college procrastinated 10 page papers the entire trimester. 
> 
> Thank you for your continued support! I'm about to answer all of your reviews from last chapter now:)

"What's got that smile on your face?" Bucky asked as they started to set the table for dinner. 

Family dinner night was at their house again, and the kids were sitting in the living room. They were playing Trouble, and from here, Steve could hear their laughing and light trash talk. Peter was back to being a little quiet around everyone, but Steve wasn't upset. He'd open up to them all eventually, and until then, his smiles were enough. 

"I told the kids about my gallery the other night and guess what?" 

"Hm?" 

"Harley asked if they could come! He actually asked me!" Steve couldn't keep the grin off of his face. "Isn't that great?" 

Bucky smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you, man." 

"I really feel like maybe he's starting to come around," Steve said. "We've had some bumps, but you know how they say it usually gets worse before it gets better." 

"I really hope you're right and he's starting to turn around. How's Peter doing?" 

"He's doing alright. Still hasn't talked to us about his nightmare, but I don't think he's had another since. Him and Tony are going crazy with the tree house they're building." 

"It's gonna be epic," Tony said as he came into the dining room with Natasha, Clint, and Laura. "We've almost got all of the baseboards down and we're gonna start the walls soon." 

"Who's idea was it to build that thing?" Clint asked, stealing a tater tot from the platter. 

"Both of us, actually," Steve said. "Pete tends to hide under his bed when he's upset or when he wants a break from everything. We figured if we gave him an actual place to go, maybe it would be better." 

"Under the bed, Really? Lila is terrified of underneath her bed. We have to keep some of her things down there so she knows a monster won't fit."

Steve's smile faltered. "Yeah...but Peter’s not scared of the same monsters other kids are afraid of. He loves Gremlins even though I couldn't watch that without nightmares as a kid." 

"His monsters are real. And they lurk on top of the bed, not under it," Tony added and Steve knew he was right, but the thought still made him nauseous. 

"Poor kid," Clint muttered, glancing over to the living room. They could hear Rhodey now trying to play referee as the kids all yelled and argued. "I wanna find that guy that did that to him and kill him-- I mean,  _ how  _ do you do that to a kid?" 

"I don't know," Steve said, shaking his head. "And sometimes I forget, you know. It's horrible because that poor baby has to live with it every day, but I look at him when he's smiling and it's almost easy to forget that he's dealing with the trauma of sexual abuse. He's so small and young…" 

Tony came over and pulled him in his arms. "It's alright, baby." 

"I wish I could just erase his past with that man and make it all better." Steve took a steadying breath. "It's not fair that he has to deal with it. He's only seven-years-old. He was four when Skip--." 

"Hey, stop," Tony whispered. "You can’t get yourself worked up over something you can't change." 

"He's just a baby," Steve whispered. 

"He's lucky to have you guys to keep an eye on him," Natasha said. "You guys are great dads." 

"Mind telling that to Harley?" Tony chuckled. "I don't think he's warming up to us." 

"You said he was excited to go to your gallery, right? Maybe he  _ is  _ coming around," Bucky said. 

"Yeah," Clint agreed. "Maybe he's into art. That'd be a good thing to bond over." 

"I don't know if he's much of an art kid," Steve said. "But...I think maybe this is a good start. There's just so much in their past of what we don't know about and what if we never break through the walls he built up." 

"Don't be so hard on yourselves. Fostering is a big thing and you're doing your best. We're all proud of you," Natasha said. "Bucky and I were starting to think about it too, actually." 

That surprised Steve. "Really?" 

"Yeah. The IVF isn't working and the more we know about the boys, the more it makes us want to help another kid just like them." Natasha looked sad, and Steve felt for her. Steve and Tony never had to worry about making a decision between biological or adopted; biology decided that for him. But Natasha and Bucky had the choice torn from them. 

"We can give you the number to the group we found Peter and Harley through," Tony offered. 

"We'd appreciate that. Thank you." Bucky smiled. 

"No problem," Tony said. 

Steve fidgeted. "I'm gonna go check on the kids." 

"You wanna go see Peter smile?" Tony asked quietly. 

"I just wanna see he's okay," Steve explained, hoping he didn't sound insane. 

"I'll come with you. We'll bring them all in for dinner." Tony grabbed his hand and led him out of the dining room. 

"How's the game going?" Steve asked once they were in the living room. Rhodey was sitting on the couch holding Nathan, with Harley sitting next to him. 

Sam, Peter, Lila, and Cooper were all squeezed around the table playing the board game. Lila smacked her hand against the plastic bubble in the middle. "I'm gonna win!" 

Cooper laughed. "Yeah. Okay."

Then it was Peter's turn. He must have rolled a good number because he clapped his hands and then pulled a piece out of his start and placed it on the board. Then he looked up at Steve and Tony and gave them a big smile. "Did you see?" 

Sam's eyes widened from behind Peter. That was obviously the first time Peter had spoken in front of them. 

"Of course we saw!" Tony said. "You better use that little guy to send Sam back home." 

"Peter actually feels too guilty to send people home," Rhodey said. "It's adorable." 

"Is dinner ready?" Harley asked, sounding not into the conversation like everyone else was. 

"Yeah, kid. Vis is finishing it in the kitchen with Wanda." Before Tony even finished, Harley was off the couch and heading into the kitchen. 

Steve sighed dejectedly. So much for making progress. 

\--

"What's up with you, dude?" Cooper asked on the loading screen of the video game they were playing. 

They were laying in Harley's bed with the door shut and locked. Peter and Lila had asked earlier to play with them, to which the two of them immediately said no. 

"What're you talking about?" 

"You've been quiet all night. And you've been kinda icing Peter out." 

Harley wished the game would load faster as he shrugged his shoulders. "Then he can go cry to Steve." The loading screen turned to the pause menu. Harley turned to face Cooper. "What?" 

"You're still jealous." 

"I don't want to talk about it," Harley grumbled. Despite his words, he explained, "It just feels like he's...choosing them." 

"He's not choosing anyone. He's growing comfortable with them as parents." Cooper put his controller down next to him. So this was going to be a serious conversation. "Isn't that what you want?" 

"He has our mom already," Harley said even though he couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to their mother. It was a little bit after the fire. 

"Does he?" 

Harley hesitated. "She still loves us. If she ever wanted us back, we need to be able to go back." 

"I'm sure she still loves you," Cooper said quickly. "But until then, why does it hurt if he has two extra parents?" 

"He has me though," Harley said. "He doesn't need them." 

"Of course, he does. You'll always be his big brother, but that doesn't mean you have to be his parent too. You shouldn't have to be." Cooper sighed, shaking his head. 

"I've always been... _ everything  _ to him," Harley said, not sure why he was so comforting sharing so much of his feelings with Cooper. 

"And that's amazing that he's always had you, but...you deserve to be a kid for once. You shouldn't have the responsibilities of an adult. They gotta worry 'bout bills and jobs. Enjoy your childhood, dude." 

Harley's childhood had ended the day Peter was born. 

"You need to relax and let Steve and Tony be the parents. I've got the perfect idea." Cooper grinned. "Some seniors in my gym class said they're having a party at their house on Saturday. No parents. I can get us an invite." 

Harley's eyes widened. He'd never been to a party for anyone before, let alone a high school party. The idea sounded fun because it was an easy way to forget  _ everything... _ it would also probably piss Steve and Tony off in the process. He smiled over at Cooper. "I think that sounds like an  _ excellent  _ idea." 

"Awesome. My parents will never say yes, so I'll tell them I'm here and you tell yours you're going to my house." Cooper held out his fist for Harkey to bump his fist against. 

Harley did so with a smirk. "Perfect." 

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had gone, Steve and Tony sat with Peter in his room until he fell asleep. 

Steve tucked him into bed and felt relaxed at the small smile Peter was giving them. "Have a fun day, bud?" 

He nodded his head. "Harley didn't let me and Lila play video games, so we played in my room. We pretended we were pirates!" 

"You know," Tony said, "playing pretend pirates sounds like so much more fun than video games." 

"I had a eyepatch! And a pet parrot!" Peter giggled before interrupting himself with a yawn. 

"Our little pirate is feeling sleepy, huh?" Steve brushed some of his curls from his forehead. 

"Yeah, but I can't sleep yet!" Peter pouted, using his big brown puppy dog eyes to good work. "I need a bedtime story!" 

"A bedtime story? Well, I think I can find a good one on the shelf." Tony rubbed his chin, but Peter shook his head. 

"I want a story about you and Steve!" He grinned. 

"Another one? Why do you like hearing stories about us so much?" Tony asked, though there was a fondness in his eyes. 

"'Cus you're my favorite fairytale," Peter answered innocently. 

"Oh, that's a good one," Tony said. "I'm gonna write that down for next year's Valentine's Day card." 

Steve rolled his eyes. "Don't steal Peter's lines." 

"You can have it if you tell me a story!" Peter said brightly, trying to fight his exhaustion. 

"Kid drives a hard bargain. Alright. Whaddya wanna hear a story about? I've got plenty of embarrassing stories about Steve." 

Peter's cheeks blushed when he requested to hear about their first kiss. Steve felt his own cheeks burn as well. 

"Oh, that's a  _ good  _ story, kid." Tony chuckled. "As you know, my best friend is  _ very  _ handsome." 

Peter covered his mouth with a giggle. 

"When I saw all the other kids in school giving him the eyes, I started getting a little jealous." 

"Jealous is a good look on you," Steve murmured with a smile. Steve remembered Tony's reactions to every girl that flirted with him, once he buffed up after puberty. Steve had been oblivious to his feelings at the time. 

"What is jealous?" Peter asked Tony, tugging his favorite teddy bear close to his chest. 

"Jealous is a feeling that you get when you see someone with something you want. It’s not a nice feeling," Tony explained. "Like when Harley got to pick dessert last week and you wanted to and you got upset." 

Peter made a thoughtful face. "Or when I see other kids with their mom and dad in the store?" 

Steve's smile faltered. He shouldn't have been surprised. He wanted to talk to Peter about it, but he didn't seem like he was upset. He was just stating a fact. Steve didn't want to dampen the mood. "Yeah...that's the feeling of jealousy." 

"Oh...okay! Why did you feel jealous?" 

"Because! What if someone started dating him first? Then I'd miss my chance and have to live the rest of my life miserable without the love of my life." Tony leaned over, kissing his cheek. It was enough to bring a smile back to his face. 

"But you got him!" 

"Sure did," Tony said. "We were studying for a big test coming up, and he was reading me questions. But I couldn't pay attention when he looked so  _ beautiful."  _

"Stop it, Tony…" Steve grinned, not wanting him to stop. God, he loved his husband. So much. 

"Never! And he was saying something about the Revolutionary War or something-- and I leaned forward and just...kissed him." Tony grabbed Steve’s hand, bringing it to his lips to place a kiss to his knuckles. 

"Was it a nice kiss?" Peter pried with a little smirk. 

"It was probably the sloppiest kiss we've ever had, and he tasted like the Doritos he was eating." Steve rolled his eyes fondly. 

"All that and still, my favorite kiss." Tony smiled softly. 

"Yeah. Mine too." 

"I hope my first kiss is just as magical!" Peter marveled. 

Steve was glad that Peter still dreamed about having something as special as his first kiss. Part of him had been afraid that Skip had tainted Peter's future just as much as his past. But it seemed that Peter didn't link the sexual abuse he faced from Skip with a kiss or a romantic relationship in the future. "I'm sure it will be, bud." 

"Only if they're good enough for our boy," Tony said, seriously. "Peter deserves only the best and I will make sure he gets that." 

"Don't scare away his future dates, Tony," Steve said, enjoying the way their conversation of Peter's future was making the kid smile. 

"Scare away isn't  _ exactly  _ how I'd put it." 

"Then how would--?" Steve was cut off by his cell phone ringing. He pulled it out to see Edwin Gast calling. He turned to Tony and said, "I have to get this, sorry." 

"Go ahead, I'll put the munchkin to sleep with a boring story about something or another." 

Steve stood up and kissed the top of his head. "See you in our room." He smiled over at Peter, wanting desperately to give him a kiss too. "Sweet dreams, little guy." 

"Goodnight, Steve!" 

Steve hurried from the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. He glanced over at Harley's door when he heard it shut. He didn't have time to check in on him, but he'd have to go after. He answered the phone and said, "Hello, Mr. Gast--." 

"Do you enjoy keeping me waiting?" 

"I'm sorry, sir. I was putting my son to sleep--." 

"So I assume everything is ready for tomorrow then." 

Steve frowned. He didn't like how rude this man was. "Yes, sir. I have your paintings all set up in the gallery now. It'll be perfect. I promise." 

"It better be, or else you'll be sorry. I'll be there at 8." 

"The gallery opens at 6--." 

"See you at 8." Then he hung up. 

Steve sighed, stuffing his phone in his pocket. He hoped this was the first and last time he had to deal with Gast.

Before heading to his room, he walked over to Harley's room and knocked softly. "Harley, you still up?" 

There was no answer, even though Steve knew he was awake. Of course, Harley wouldn't answer him. Steve was probably super low on the list of people that Harley liked.

Steve sighed. "Goodnight, Harley. See you tomorrow, kiddo. Sleep well."

* * *

Harley glanced around the room and tried to hold back the disgusted face he wanted to make. They were surrounded by snobby adults all dressed in suits and dresses. Even Steve and Tony were dressed up. They had Peter in a little tuxedo, but Harley refused to dress up. He was wearing what he wore to school that day: jeans and a t-shirt. 

Steve was running around looking as nervous as he did when he first met Harley and Peter. This was obviously important to him, and part of Harley felt bad for being such a well...brat, but he learned early on in his life that he couldn't worry about other people. He had to worry about himself and Peter, and no one else. 

Harley was doing his best to seem as uninterested as possible. Peter was hiding behind Tony's leg as Steve spoke to many of the guests. They all wanted to congratulate him on his success tonight. Harley rolled his eyes every time. Hanging art on the wall wasn't impressive. 

"Oh, God-- Tony, it's him." Steve turned to Tony, a look of panic on his face. Harley looked behind Steve and saw a douchey looking man walking over to them. 

"You're alright, love. He is lucky enough to have you presenting his art. Kick ass, babe." Tony kissed his cheek before pulling away just as the man came over. Harley should be the one to stand in front of Peter to protect him from a strange man, but he was already hiding with Tony. 

"Mr. Gast!" Steve said and Harley could hear the nervousness in his voice despite that he tried to mask it. "I'd like you to meet my family!" 

Harley rolled his eyes. 

"This is my husband, Tony. And these are our children: Peter and Harley." Steve gestured to the three of them. 

Harley took a step forward. "Just to clarify: we're not their  _ kids.  _ They're only fostering us." 

Steve looked like he'd been slapped before he wiped the look off of his face. "Um, right-- well, uh…" 

"Kids, why don't you go sit over there away from all these scary adults?" Tony suggested. "We don't need to bore you." 

"Why? Are we embarrassing you?" 

Tony narrowed his eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Harley, please not here. Not now. Just take your brother and sit over there." 

Harley huffed and rolled his eyes, holding his hand out to Peter. Peter took it immediately and Harley led him away from them all. Peter stayed silent as they walked away from all of the adults. He knew Peter would feel safer secluded from the crowd. 

Once they were sitting away from everyone, Peter frowned. Harley rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that look, Peter." He continued to frown. "You always take their side. Why can't you be on mine again?" 

Peter stayed silent. Even though they weren't around people, they weren't alone enough for Peter to speak. 

"Whatever. We'll talk about it later." Harley pulled his backpack off his back and took out the markers he packed. "You're probably bored so Steve told me to give you these." 

Peter took them, waiting for him to hand him something to color on. Harley looked over at the big white canvas on the far wall with one line and a few dots painted on it. He pointed to it. 

"That's an interactive canvas. It's for people to make their own art. See those dots? People already started." Harley knew that it was more than convincing enough for a seven-year-old to believe, especially Peter. He'd believe anything that Harley told him. 

His face brightened and he hurried over to the white canvas. Harley smiled when he watched Peter uncap a green marker. Then he started to scribble. 

Harley knew he should feel bad, but he didn't because he knew in the end, Peter would be fine. The worst that Steve or Tony would do to Peter was get disappointed in him. They would never hurt him or raise their voice. He just needed them to do something so Peter would stop looking at them like they hung the stars. 

He glanced over his shoulder to see Steve and Tony talking to another guest now that the other guy was gone. He looked back to Peter in time to see him use the blue marker to start drawing a dog on the grass he just scribbled. 

"I'll be right back, Pete. I'm gonna go get Steve so he can see how awesome your drawing is." Harley pushed his backpack over to Peter in case he needed more colors while he was gone. 

Harley was almost to Tony and Steve's side when he heard a very loud yell. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Douchebag was over by Peter and the painting, and Harley's smirk disappeared. He didn't think about someone else yelling at Peter. "What the  _ hell _ do you think you're doing?" 

Harley was frozen in his spot. He should have moved and grabbed Peter and ran the hell out of there. This was like back in their first home. That was how he was screamed at before he was hit. He should have protected Peter. 

But he couldn't. He never could. 

"Oh, shit. Peter." Harley heard Tony curse behind him before suddenly, they were both rushing past him. 

Harley still could only watch as the scene unfolded in front of him. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Gast," Steve said, stepping in front of Peter. He was shaking as he cowered behind Steve’s legs. "Please lower your voice." 

Douchebag took a step forward with his hand raised, but Steve stood his ground. "Do not touch him," he warned. 

"Then you give him a beating for me!" The man shouted with a red face. The vein in his neck was bulging. He looked around Steve down at Peter and continued to yell, "What were you thinking, you little brat?!" 

"Please don't ever raise your voice to my son like that again." Steve's voice was low and dangerous. 

"Are you being  _ serious  _ right now?" Douchebag asked. "He is drawing over my originals like it's a children's menu at some diner! It is  _ ruined!"  _

Peter was crying now. Tears were streaming down his face, but still, Harley couldn't move. There was too much yelling. Douchebag was going to hit him. He was going to hit Peter.  _ Move, Harley! Save him. Don't let him down again!  _

"He's a child," Steve said. "He doesn't know any better." 

"Then maybe you should teach him!" Douchebag's voice only got louder. "They shouldn't be in here in the first place! Those children don't belong here." 

"This is  _ my gallery, _ so yes,  _ my children  _ do belong here." 

"They belong in a psych ward. Or a group home. Take your pick. But they do not belong here." 

The entire room was watching now, and of course they knew what children he was talking about. The little one in the tux with a red marker in his hand and the other in a baggy t-shirt and jeans. Harley felt embarrassed for the first time since he'd be paraded around those adoption fairs. 

"Get out," Steve said.

"I'm sorry?" Douchebag lowered his voice. 

He was going to hit Peter. He was going to hit him-- Harley must have been panicking not as discreetly as he thought he was because Tony glanced at him and then hurried over and lifted Peter away from the scene. Peter wrapped his arms around Tony's neck. 

"You will not speak to my children like that and continue to be my guest. I won't have it. Get out." Steve raised his hand to point at the door. 

"You're making a  _ huge  _ mistake," Douchebag warned. "You apologize now and maybe I'll change my mind." 

"You're the one that should be apologizing." 

"You'll never get another artist here again, I promise you that. You just destroyed your entire career." He spat at them. "I hope those brats are worth it." 

"They're worth everything. You, however, are not. In fact, now that Peter added his own color to the piece, it might be worth something." 

"I want it all down! And I want everyone out! You will not have people in here until my works are all gone!" He glared over at where Tony was holding Peter. "You stupid child." 

Tony wrapped a hand around the back of Peter's head and held him close. His shoulders were shaking. "Steve, can you handle this asshole while I take the kids outside?" 

"Of course." 

Tony turned to Harley's side and went to take his hand and lead him out, but Harley shook his head. He didn't want to turn his back to that man. Harley couldn't defend himself if he didn't see it coming. 

"It's alright," Tony whispered. "Steve has it handled. Let's get you outside." Harley looked over at Steve and knew that he would tackle Douchebag to the ground, in his suit and everything, before he let him hurt his family. So he followed Tony outside where they weren't around the crowd or that angry man. 

Peter was crying and Harley hated that it was his fault. He felt his own eyes burning with tears. "It's alright, boys. Steve’s handling it. You're both safe." 

Peter continued to sob, and even Harley let out a small cry. It had been so long since he felt that scared. Tony looked over at him, as if he was surprised to see Harley crying. 

"Hey, Harley, it's okay…" He lifted his arm up. "Can I hug you?" 

Harley hesitated. He didn't want to want it, but for once, he just wanted someone to take away his pain and make him feel protected. He nodded his head. 

Tony pulled him into his side and Harley let out a stuttering breath. A hug from someone other than Peter...it had been years. He forgot how nice they felt. 

"I'm sorry," Harley said, pressing his face against Tony's shoulder. "It's my fault." 

"Don't worry about that now, kid. We'll talk at home. I just want you to calm down." Tony rubbed his arm gently. "Let's go sit in the car though. In case people come out, I don't want them seeing you guys." 

Tony had to let go of Harley to walk back towards the car. Harley wrapped his arms around himself as he followed him silently, no longer crying. Peter still was though. 

Tony opened the door to the back and guided Harley inside. Then he followed after, settling Peter on his lap. Harley put a seat length between them. He had been weak for one hug. Not another. 

"How are we doing, team?" Tony asked quietly. 

Neither one of them answered. 

"Alright, we can just sit here 'til Steve comes back." Tony leaned back, cradling Peter closer. Peter continued to cry, and all Harley could think about was that it was  _ his fault.  _

It was a while before Steve came to the car. Harley was tense as he took a seat in the front. He didn't think Steve would ever hurt him, but he really didn't know anymore. Harley didn't expect his plan to go  _ that bad.  _

Glancing into the back, Steve asked Tony, "You staying with Peter?" 

"Yeah. Don't think he'll let go for me to put him in the seat. Just drive slowly." Tony was rocking Peter gently as he cried softly in Tony's arms. 

Steve didn't even look at Harley. He drove safely all the way home and then stepped outside first, opening the door for Tony. Tony followed behind Steve as they walked into the house and Harley trailed behind. 

Once inside, Peter finally spoke, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" 

"It's alright, Peter," Steve said in a word voice Harley had never heard him use before. He seemed almost...numb. "You don't have to apologize. You're just a kid...next time...just don't draw on art that doesn't belong to you, okay?" 

"I'm sorry! Harley said that it was for fun!" Peter yelled. 

Harley wanted to fall into a hole. He was supposed to be  _ proud  _ of this, but now, he felt  _ horrible.  _ Especially when Steve turned to look at him with wide eyes. He looked betrayed. "You told him to draw on the painting?" 

Harley couldn't even speak. 

Steve made a pained face before turning away. "I've got to go...see what I can still salvage of my gallery, but I think it's done. There's no way an artist would trust me to showcase their work after this." 

"Wait, Steve--," Harley said, but Steve didn't even respond to him using his name for the first time. He kept walking towards his office. 

Peter wiped at his face as tears continued to pour down his face. "Steve hates me!" 

"No," Tony said, trying to soothe him. "Steve doesn't hate you. He's a little upset right now, but once he cools down, it'll be okay." 

Peter kicked his feet until Tony lowered him to the ground. "I didn't wanna make him mad!" 

"He's not mad. I've seen him mad, and this isn't it." Tony's smile was small and empty. "Let's get ready for bed, and then I'll talk to Steve. Maybe he'll come in and say goodnight before you fall asleep." 

"Are you-- are you gonna send us back, s-sir?" Peter asked, scrubbing his eyes with his little fists. He'd never called Tony or Steve  _ sir  _ before. 

"No," Tony said immediately. "We're not sending you anywhere." 

"But we ruined everything!" 

"No. Nothing's ruined. We're going to be okay. I promise." 

Peter sniffled loudly. "You're not sending us back?" 

"No. We're not sending you anywhere." 

"Good," Peter cried, rubbing his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. "'Cus I don't wanna go back!" 

"Can I hug you, Peter?" Without a beat of hesitation, Peter nodded his head. Tony pulled him into his arms and held him securely against his chest. "You're okay, bambino. It's okay." 

Harley couldn't watch this anymore. This was all his fault. He couldn't even comfort Peter anymore. All he was worth was protecting Peter. He took a step towards his room. "I'm just gonna...go to my room." 

Tony didn't even argue as he backed away and hurried to his room. He slammed the door shut after himself and fell to the floor slowly as he cried silently. 

* * *

There was a soft knock at the door as Steve hung up the phone after another phone call. “Come in, Tony.” 

The door opened slowly and Tony stepped inside. “Hey, love…” 

Steve sighed, as he turned back to the papers on his desk. He highlighted another name off of his list. He had gotten phone calls from seven artists already to cancel their work with him. “Seven clients gone.” The phone started ringing and Steve smiled bitterly. “Let’s make it eight.” 

Tony came over, and stopped behind Steve. He put his hands on his neck and began to massage his shoulders. Steve already felt a tension headache spreading up his neck, so he was grateful for Tony’s magic hands. 

Before Steve could even open his mouth to say anything, the man that called him and told him he was done. Then he hung up before Steve could say anything but: “I’m sorry, sir. Yes. Thank you.” 

“Eight?” Tony asked quietly. 

“Yup.” Steve groaned and leaned back so he could look up at Tony. “I can’t believe...everything I worked for and spent years putting together is...gone.” 

“It’s not gone,” Tony said. “Not everyone is leaving, and the ones that are...who needs them? If they want to take that prick’s side, then good riddance.”

Steve knew Tony was right. He didn’t want business from men like Edwin Gast, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to stress about the consequences. He was going to try not to worry about it anymore anyway, he decided as he silenced his cell phone. 

“Peter fell asleep a few minutes ago,” Tony told him, still massaging his shoulders. 

Steve took him by the hands and pulled him to stand in front of him and then tugged him until Tony sat on his lap. Steve held him close “How’s he doing? I could only imagine how Gast yelling at him made him feel.” 

“Kid cried himself to sleep. Couldn’t get him to calm down.” Tony rested his head on Steve’s shoulder. 

“Poor baby,” Steve murmured. 

“He begged me not to send them back. He thought we were going to send them back into their last foster house because of the trouble he caused.” 

Steve sighed, making a note to reassure Peter a million times the next day that he was not going to send him or Harley back. “He didn’t cause any trouble. It wasn’t his fault.” 

“You wanna talk about whose it was?” 

Steve shook his head in frustration before he said, “I’m trying to understand where he’s coming from, Tony. But...I can only do so much. If he doesn’t try then nothing is ever going to work. I really thought he was showing interest! God, how could I be so  _ stupid?” _

“You’re not stupid,” Tony said firmly. “He asked you if he could come to your gallery and you wanted to believe he was trying to connect. That makes you optimistic, not stupid.” 

“Of course he didn’t want to bond over stupid art. I knew the kid had no interest. And-- and he just sets Peter up to get in trouble? I mean, did he even  _ think  _ about the consequences?” Steve asked, anger and frustration colliding. 

Tony remained the calm on. “He’s a teenager, Steve. He doesn’t think past Friday nights. I really don’t think he thought it through. He’s hurting still, and he’s not clicking with us. He’s desperate to get a reaction from us.” 

“What if it’s not the right fit?” Steve asked. “What if we aren’t meant to be his parents? And we’ve been trying to make something work that was doomed from the start.” 

“Harley’s always been Peter’s parent, love. Even when he had his mother, he was the one taking care of him. And Harley was taken from his mother, who he thought loved him unconditionally and sent to a house that beat him, a house that molested his little brother, and a house that failed to nurture them. Of course, he’s going to make  _ all  _ fosters the enemies. He doesn’t want us, but he needs us.” 

“I dunno. We seem to make everything worse,” Steve muttered. 

“That’s not true at all. If we send them back, they go right back to the house they came from. The house where Peter never spoke, Harley had to starve just to feed Peter, and they were probably reminded daily about what burdens they were. We can’t send them back to that because Harley doesn’t want to adjust.” 

Steve knew Tony was right. The reminder of how they were treated in the last house alone was enough to shatter Steve’s heart some more. “So, what? We just let him hate us?” 

“If that’s what it takes to make sure he has a good home to grow up in, then yeah. Maybe after time, he’ll realize that his mother isn’t the holy saint he’s created in his mind, and he’ll realize that it’s okay to enjoy being in this family.” Tony’s eyes were sad as he spoke. Steve knew fostering wasn’t going to be easy, but he never imagined it would be this emotionally draining. “I think he was pretty torn about tonight.” 

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “He froze in there when he heard the yelling. It hurts to see him suffering and then he refuses to let anyone comfort him.” 

“We can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. We have to let him learn himself, and it looks like he wants to learn this all the hard way.” Tony didn’t sound happy about that. “But we’re not giving up on him or Peter.” 

“I don’t want to...I just hope he doesn’t grow up hating us his entire life. After he’s eighteen he can just leave…” 

“He might still hate us in three years, but he would never leave Peter,” Tony said. 

“What if he takes Peter with him?” Steve really shouldn’t have been getting his worries up about three years in the future, but the idea of losing not one but both of his children scared him...even if that possibility was far away. 

“We won’t let him. He won’t be ready to be a parent to Peter at eighteen. He will  _ never  _ be ready, and we won’t make him. He’s supposed to be a kid. Go to college, travel the world, find a partner...he can’t do that if he’s worrying about taking care of a child.” Tony cupped his cheek and caressed his skin softly with his thumb. “But don’t think about that. It won’t come to that. He’s gotta like us a little more than he does now in three years.” 

Steve shook his head with a humorless chuckle. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” 

Tony laid against Steve for a moment while Steve played with the hair by the base of his head. He was silent for a long moment before he asked, “Are you mad at him?” 

“At Harley?”

“Yeah.” 

“I don’t know if I’m mad...maybe a little frustrated and disappointed. Part of me wants to be mad, but I know he’s hurting enough. Getting mad at him will only push him away. He doesn’t need anger right now; he needs someone to hear he’s hurting, and not give up when he keeps pushing away.” 

Tony smiled up at him. 

“What?” 

“You’re a really good dad, you know that?” 

“Oh, yeah? Well, so are you,” Steve said, kissing the top of his head. “Peter call you dad yet?”

“Nope,” Tony replied. “Tonight he called me sir though, so I think we might be going back a step.”

“Harley called me Steve for the first time. I don’t know if that’s considered a step forward or back.” Steve sighed. “Peter’s yet to call me dad either though.”

“I got a hug tonight,” Tony mentioned casually. 

Steve’s eyes widened. “No way.”

“Yes, way. He was crying so hard and I just asked him if I could hug him. He said yes.” 

“I want a hug from Peter.” Steve pouted. He wasn’t sure if he and Tony were just overthinking the whole touch thing with Peter, or if he really didn’t like physical comfort, but Steve wanted desperately to pick him up and squeeze him in a hug. 

“You should ask him tomorrow. One of the best hugs in the entire world. You’ll be changed after experiencing it.” Tony smiled teasingly. 

“Alright, stop bragging. You beat me to the first hug, I get it. But I’m gonna get the first ‘dad’,” Steve challenged. 

“You’re on. Don’t cry too much when you lose.” 

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really like this chapter, so I hope you do too!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter include: lots of mentions of Skip and Peter's past abuse, underage drinking, mentions of past forced underage drinking, vomiting, nightmares

The next morning was Saturday, so Steve wasn’t that surprised that the kids weren’t up as early as they usually were. Tony had the day off, and he was sitting in the kitchen with Steve as they waited for one of the kids to stroll out of their bedroom. 

After a few hours of reading the paper, having some coffee, and straightening up the house, Peter came into the kitchen. He was looking around anxiously as he chewed on one of his finger’s hangnails. 

Steve made sure to give him a bright smile when he walked in. “Good morning, Pete.” 

“Good morning, Steve,” he mumbled quietly, looking from Steve to Tony and then back to Steve. “I’m really sorry for ruining your night last night.” 

Steve had lost thirteen clients from last night, leaving him with less than half of his base. His business was hurting severely, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fix it, but that wasn’t a problem right now. Making sure that Peter knew he was loved and wanted in this house was the only priority on his mind. “You have nothing to apologize for.” 

“But I colored on someone’s art and, and--!” 

“You didn’t do it meanly. You thought you were allowed to, right?” Steve wondered, genuinely curious. He didn’t get Peter or Harley’s side of the story last night. 

“Harley told me that you said it was allowed and that it was for us to color and make our own art.” Peter hunched his shoulders, sniffling softly. 

Steve chuckled and kneeled so he was on Peter’s height. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think your art was much better than how it originally was.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “You think so?” 

“Oh, definitely. You’re a natural artist.” Steve smiled softly, hoping that seeing it would calm Peter down. 

“I was drawing a puppy in a park,” Peter said, looking down at his feet. 

“And you drew an  _ amazing  _ puppy. How about I get you a sketchbook for you to put your drawings in next time?” 

Peter nodded his head just barely. “So...does this mean you’re not sending us back?” 

“Sending you back? We would never ever dream of sending you back.” Steve refrained from grabbing Peter’s little hands and giving them a squeeze. “Can I let you in on a little secret?” Peter’s eyes widened and he looked over Steve’s shoulder where Tony was sitting. Steve chuckled. “Don’t worry, Tony knows the secret already.” 

He nodded his head, leaning in closer to hear the secret. 

Then Steve whispered, “Tony and I love you very much. We love you too much to get rid of you.” 

Peter gasped. “You love me?” 

“Sure do.” 

“And you love Harley too? You love my brother?” 

Steve chuckled. “Yes. We love Harley too.” 

Peter smiled so wide, his cheeks grew dimples. “Can I have a hug, Steve?” 

Steve’s heart stuttered. He quickly nodded his head. “Yes. Of course. You can have a hug.” Steve extended his arms and pulled Peter against his chest gently. He wanted to rub his back or kiss his mop of curls, but he thought that might be too much. A hug was enough for now. 

Peter stayed tucked securely in his arms until he pulled away first. Steve wasn’t going to shorten or extend it any more than Peter wanted. He pulled back and when Steve looked at him, he looked more relaxed than he had all morning. 

“Is it alright if we hug you more often, Peter? We can always ask before doing so, but do you like hugs and other physical comfort?” 

Peter nodded his head. “I like...hugs. I don’t think you’re like...him. You guys don’t scare me like he does.” 

It felt as if a rock had been lifted off of Steve’s chest. “We’re so relieved to hear that, bud.” Steve stood up and turned to Tony with a proud smile. Suddenly, yesterday’s chaos didn’t seem as bad now that they hit this milestone with Peter. 

“How about we celebrate with pancakes? Steve makes  _ the best  _ pancakes and he’ll put anything in them. Blueberries, chocolate chips--.” 

“Sprinkles?” 

Tony paused but then nodded. “Yeah. I don’t see why not. You wanna sit at the island and watch him cook? We can plan some more of our tree house while he wait for breakfast.” 

Peter nodded his head and raised his arms to Steve. Steve’s heart swelled as he leaned down and picked him up, settling him on his hip as he walked over to where Tony was sitting. Setting him down on the chair next to Tony, he said, “You two go crazy. Just nothing dangerous like a zipline or a slide coming from the top.” 

“Don’t knock all the good ideas, babe.” 

“Yeah, babe!” Peter repeated with a grin. 

Steve couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t have to call me that, Pete. That’s a grownup name.” 

“Oh,” Peter furrowed his brow. “I’ll think of a better name for you then.” 

“Don’t like Steve?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders and it looked like there was more to it. “I want to give you a special name.” 

Steve wanted more than anything for Peter to call him dad, but he didn’t want to push it. “I’m sure whatever you think of will be awesome, bud.” Steve turned around to the cabinets and started to get the flour and other ingredients he would need to make pancakes. Apparently, sprinkles were now on that list. 

“Are you gonna yell at Harley?” 

Steve turned around and saw that even Tony looked caught off-guard by the question. “Why would we yell at Harley?”

“Because he lied to me and he made me be bad.” 

“We’re not going to yell at him,” Steve said softly. “We’ll have a talk with him, but never yell.” 

Peter let out a sigh. “Thank you. I don’t like when my brother gets yelled at. I know you wouldn’t hurt him, but I was still worried…” 

“We will never hurt your brother ever,” Tony said. “You’re a good brother for protecting him.” 

“He always protects me,” Peter said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Now it’s my turn to protect him.” 

* * *

“Can we put a pool up here?” Peter asked Tony as they surveyed all of the work they got done today. The floorboards were completely on, and tomorrow, they would start working on the walls. But for now, it was getting a little too late to work outside anymore. The last thing Tony needed was either one of them tripping over something in the dark and falling out of the tree. 

“I don’t think a pool would fit, kiddo,” Tony said. “But maybe we can think about putting a pool in the backyard if you want.” 

“I don’t know how to swim,” Peter told him with a frown. 

“That’s alright. I can teach you how.” Tony ruffled his hair as he walked past him towards the ladder, but he froze. He touched Peter without asking, and even though they cleared up this morning that he wasn’t afraid of them, Tony still felt bad. 

But Peter only giggled and smiled up at him. He seemed to be brighter after he received the physical comfort. “Can we have a swing?” 

“I’ll get a tire swing to hang from one of the branches,” Tony promised as he started to climb down the ladder. Peter followed suit and stayed close enough to Tony so he could keep a hand by his back while he followed him down the tree. 

Once both of their feet were on the grass, Peter giggled again and said, “Race you to Steve!” 

“Race me to Steve--?” But then Peter was gone, running inside like a flash of light. Tony laughed as he followed him inside. “Get back here, you little gremlin!” 

Steve was in his studio working to try and salvage whatever he could. Tony caught up with Peter and so he was able to see the look on Steve’s face when Peter ran into the room, colliding with Steve’s legs. The frustration on his face disappeared into a softness. “What’s going on?” 

“No clue,” Tony said, slightly out of breath. “Kid called a race, and I’m not loser.” 

“But you lost! I won!” Peter jumped with a big smile. 

“Yeah. Don’t remind me.” 

Peter made grabby hands up at Steve and Tony could see the way his eyes melted at the sight. He lifted Peter up and sat him on his lap. “What? You wanna help me work?” 

“Whatcha working on?” 

“Trying to find new artists to replace everyone that left,” Steve said. “Nobody wants to work with me, and I’m not sure why. I’m losing more and more as the hours pass. Even if they want to stay with me...I think Gast said something to them all to make them pull their work.” 

“That’s horseshit,” Tony said. Before wincing when he realized he cursed in front of the kid. “I mean-- horse poop.”

“Yeah, I know it sucks. But I’ve got to figure something else out.” 

“I can paint stuff for your gallery!” Peter offered excitedly. “And you’re a good artist too! Why don’t you show your own things?” 

Steve blushed. “I’m not as talented as the people I was promoting before. No one will come to see my stuff.” 

“I would,” Peter told him. 

“As would I, love. I’d pay a billion dollars to see your art.” Tony smirked, glass that he had someone else to give him love and encouragement for his work. 

“You could be an art teacher,” Peter said. “You can teach people how to draw and then put their work up!” 

Tony paused, thinking it over. It actually wasn’t a bad idea. “Kid’s got a good idea.” 

“Who would want  _ me  _ to teach them how to draw?” Steve shook his head as if it was a crazy idea. 

“Sometimes Scott takes us out with other kids for field trips. We go to movies, and amusement parks...what if we went to your art class?” 

“This kid is a genius, Steve,” Tony kneeled down by Peter, enamored with the idea. “Hosting art classes for foster kids is a  _ fabulous  _ idea. These kids can make friends, and they can get out of the house for a few hours, we can provide them with food, art is therapy...Steve, you have to.” 

Tony could see the gears turning in Steve’s head as he thought about the idea. “You really think I could put something like that together?” 

“I know you could. We can call Nick and Phil and ask them if it’s possible to put together. It’s a great idea, Steve.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair again. “Peter, you’re a genius!” 

Peter giggled. “Thank you, Tony!” 

“You’re very welcome, kiddo.” Tony stood up and said, “You’re in charge of picking dinner tonight. Anything you want is on the menu.” 

“Sprinkle pancakes!” He cheered. 

Tony faltered. “Okay, maybe not  _ anything.”  _ He turned to Steve. “Did Harley ever come out of his room for his breakfast?”

“No. I left it by his door though, and he took it though, so at least he’s eating.” Steve sighed. 

“You think he’ll come out for dinner?” 

“Not sure. We can try asking, but I don’t think he’s in the mood to talk to us.” 

“I can ask him,” Peter offered. “Harley always listens to me. And I miss him.” 

“Alright, bud. You can go talk to Harley and decide together what we’re having for dinner. We’ll wait for you in the kitchen.” 

“Okay,” Peter said with a smile before hopping off of Steve’s lap and walking to his bedroom. 

“Do you really think the art classes for foster kids is a good idea?” Steve asked after he was gone, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. 

Tony grabbed his hands and lifted him from his chair. “I really, _really_ do. Imagine if Harley and Peter had something like this. Maybe in the first house, we would have noticed the bruises when he came to class. Maybe in the second house, Peter would have trusted us to ask for help. Maybe for the last house, it would have been food and four walls away from neglect.”

“You think we could help kids...more than just Peter and Harley?” 

“Yes. I really do think we can. Even if it’s just  _ one  _ child.” Tony smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Maybe yesterday really was just a blessing in disguise.” 

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “Maybe it was.” 

* * *

Harley hadn't moved from his spot on his bed other than to grab his breakfast plate outside the door. That was a few hours ago, and still, he was just staring at his TV as it played some show he really wasn't interested in.

Steve had tried to get him to come out, and he had used such a patient and soft voice. Harley didn't understand why he hadn't yelled at him yet. He  _ wanted  _ him to get mad and angry. 

But he didn't, and that just made Harley beyond frustrated. 

There was a little knock at the door, and it was a secret combination he and Peter had made together to distinguish when it was only them on the other side of a door. It came in handy a few times during their foster homes. Part of Harley wanted to ignore the knock and pretend that he was asleep or something because he hadn't seen Peter since he set him up for trouble, but he could never ignore Peter without feeling so incredibly guilty about it. 

"Come in." 

Peter opened the door just enough to squeeze in and shut it behind him. Harley took one look at him and realized he didn't want to see him. He felt terrible for trying to set him up for trouble. What kind of brother was he? Harley laid down and turned his back to the door.

Peter didn't care and came over anyway. He climbed up the bed and laid down right next to him. He was so close their noses almost touched. "Hi, Harley." 

"What are you doing here?" Harley asked, quietly. 

"I came to see you. I haven't seen you in a long time." Peter lifted the blankets and tucked himself under the blankets with Harley. 

"You saw me last night." 

"I didn't see you at all today! You've been hidin'." Peter pouted. "Steve and Tony say that hidin' isn't good. You can't always hide from what scares you." 

Harley rolled his eyes. "I can do whatever I want. I don't have to listen to them." 

Peter's pout only deepened. "Why don't you like Steve and Tony? You  _ wanted  _ to be mean last night. That wasn't nice." 

Harley rolled on his back so Peter's piercing brown eyes weren't staring into his anymore. "I know. I'm sorry for setting you up to get in trouble." Harley crossed his arms over his chest. "I knew Steve wouldn't hurt you." 

"But why'd you do it then? I ruined Steve's party." 

Harley sighed. "You didn't ruin anything. I did." 

"But  _ why?"  _

"Because!" Harley huffed, wishing he would just leave.

"That's not an answer. You can talk to me, Harley." Peter cuddled up close to his side and wrapped an arm around Harley's chest. 

"I wanted to make Steve mad. At you I guess." Harley  _ hated  _ the way he felt when he said it. He hated it even more that he wanted to do that to his own brother. "I'm sorry. I'm not a good big brother." 

"You're a good big brother. Even if you were really mean yesterday. I didn't like being bad." 

Harley sighed. "I'm sorry." How was he supposed to explain to his little brother that he wanted Steve to get mad at Peter so Peter would then get mad at Steve and stop getting so attached? It sounded immature and extremely selfish. 

"I forgive you," Peter whispered. "Steve isn't mad at me. But, I think you should 'pologize to him." 

Harley's eyes widened as he stared down at Peter. "What? Why?" 

Peter sat up, frowning. "You ruined his party, Harley! That's his work!" 

"So what? I don't care."  _ I can't afford to care.  _

Peter narrowed his eyes and stood up. "You've been acting kinda mean ever since we moved here! Steve and Tony are always so nice, and you're mean!" Peter stood up, staring him down. "Why can't you just be nice?" 

"Because I'm not like you, Peter! I'm not just going to forget that we have a mother! I'm not going to fall in love with Steve and Tony because they're nice to me! People can  _ pretend  _ to be nice. People do it all the time! Don't you remember Skip?" Harley didn't know why he said it. He didn't want to snap at Peter. Peter was the most important person in his life, and he dedicated every second of his life to keeping him safe. He failed to realize Skip wasn't what he pretended to be and Peter paid the price-- a price that Peter would never forget. 

Harley knew he screwed up even before Peter's eyes welled with tears. "You're so mean! What's wrong with you?" 

"Peter--." 

Peter stormed to the edge of the bed, fell to his butt, and then jumped to the floor. "I'm happy! Why can't you be happy too!?" 

"I didn't--." 

Peter pulled the door open and paused to throw a glare over his shoulder. "And I do remember Skip, Harley! They're not him!" And then the door was slammed shut behind him. 

Harley fell back to his bed and covered his mouth before any evidence from his sobs could be heard from outside of his room. Not that Steve nor Tony would come check on him. They'd both stay and comfort Peter because Peter was the son they really wanted when they first started looking. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, and attempting to smother his cries, Harley tried to ignore the memory of Peter's face and the way it crumpled when Harley asked him about Skip. How could he be so cruel? He  _ never  _ took out his anger on Peter before. Usually, they took it out on their fosters together. But now...Harley felt incredibly alone. 

There was a knock at his door a few minutes after Peter left because  _ of course.  _ Tony and Steve just had to be  _ perfect.  _ "Hey, Harley," Tony said softly. "You want to talk?" 

Harley covered his face with a pillow. 

"I know you're upset...just let me come in for a few minutes. You don't have to say a word--." 

"Go away!" Harley shouted, hating how thick with tears his voice sounded. 

"Harley…" 

"Go! Away!" Harley threw his pillow at the door. 

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, Harley. We both are," Tony said before he walked away, Harley assumed. 

The universe must have pitied his shitty life though because his phone rang not long after that and Harley was relieved to see Cooper's name. He picked it up immediately after clearing his throat to hopefully hide signs of him crying. "Hey, Coop." 

Cooper's voice was low when he replied, "Hey, Harls. You still wanna go to that party?" 

The party...Harley had almost forgotten about it. Right now, drinking until he couldn't feel all of the guilt he was feeling sounded pretty damn good. "Oh crap. I totally forgot. Yeah, I'm in." 

"Good. I failed a quiz at school so I couldn't tell my parents I was going to your house. Looks like we're doing a good ole fashioned sneaking out. Are you good to disappear for the night?" 

Harley was already up and rubbing the tears off his face. He had jeans and a t-shirt on, so he threw on a sweatshirt and shoes. "They won't look for me for the rest of the night." 

"Awesome. Meet me by the gas station on Bowman Street. I have a friend driving us to the party. He's got beers too, so we don't have to drink what's at the party. Having fun doesn't mean we gotta be stupid." 

Harley chuckled as he pulled open his window and started to climb out of it. There was something really stupid about sneaking to a party to drink with people he didn't know, but with everything that had happened in his life, he deserved a little teenager stupid. "Awesome. I'll see you soon." 

"See ya," Cooper said before hanging up. 

Harley climbed out of the window and shut it behind him. He glanced around and snuck from the yard into the street easily. He'd snuck out before when he needed to get Peter food that wasn't being provided in a home, so he wasn't new to this. But usually, the fosters didn't care if he snuck out and disappeared for a few hours. Obviously, Steve and Tony weren't like other fosters. 

His walk took about twenty minutes to get to the gas station, and even though it was cold, Harley barely felt it. He'd been stuck outside for longer in worse conditions before. He went inside and used his allowance money to buy a bag of gummy bears to give Peter later. They were his favorite and Harley was going to need all the help he could get when he apologized. 

By the time he stepped back outside, a car pulled up and Cooper stuck his head out. "Yo, Harls!" 

Harley smiled and jogged over as Cooper opened the back door. "This is Johnny." 

"Nice to meet you," Harley said to the kid driving, who looked to be a senior. 

"You too. There's beers in the back if you wanna pregame." He nodded his head and Harley saw the 12 pack on the floor. Cooper leaned down and pulled out two. He handed on to Harley before cracking his open. 

"You ever drink before?" He asked before taking a long drink. 

Harley looked down at the drink in his hand. "Yeah." 

"Same. My dad sat me down when I turned 16 to like test my tolerance or whatever. I guess it came in handy." Cooper laughed before taking another sip. 

How was Harley supposed to tell Cooper his first drink was when he was 8-years-old? His mother's boyfriend handed him a can and told him to drink...so he did. They started using it as a trick to get him and Peter to fall asleep when they wanted to...have fun. Some parents used melatonin, some used NyQuill, and others used alcohol. 

He knew he couldn't tell Cooper that. Of course he knew that Harley had a...different childhood than him, but that didn't mean he really understood what it was like to grow up with an addict for a mother and be bounced around three different foster homes. 

"So, really, he was just prepping you for tonight. He's given you your blessing." Harley raised his can to Cooper's and they tapped their cans together. 

"I guess he was." Cooper chuckled before finishing his drink. 

Harley was on his third by the time they pulled up to the party, and he was feeling  _ good.  _ Johnny patted him on the back and said, "Meet you guys outside at midnight. Have fun!" 

"Where're you going?" Cooper asked curiously. 

Johnny scoffed and waved his arms around them. "Look at how many ladies are here tonight. I'm going to get laid, man." 

"Good luck," Cooper said before turning to Harley. "You ready to have fun tonight?" 

"I was born ready," Harley said as they walked through a throng of kids to get to a cooler full of more beer cans. That shit couldn't be messed with, so Harley didn't have a problem drinking those. 

He looked around himself and between the loud music and the stench of too many teenagers cramped in a small space, he actually felt like he was doing something normal as a teenager. 

Teenagers didn't steal food so their little brother didn't starve. Teenagers didn't hold their little brother in stained pajamas as he sobbed because their foster dad was fucked in the head. Teenagers didn't flinch every time an adult raised their voice or moved too quickly. 

Teenagers drank and they smoked pot and they had fun. Harley was going to have fun tonight, for the first time in his entire life and pretend like the life he lived wasn't his. 

He grabbed another beer and raised it high above his head. "Who wants to shotgun a beer with me?!" 

He got a lot of hollers and cheers in return. Cooper grabbed his arm. "Take it easy, Harley. We don't have to black out." 

"I know my tolerance, Cooper," he said. "Don't worry. Because I don't plan on worrying tonight either. For the first time in years...I just want to be free. Like you said, let's be teenagers." 

Cooper didn't see to support him completely, but he didn't stop him either. He stayed by his side as the night passed on, though, making sure Harley was always okay. 

Harley couldn't say he minded that part. There was something good about having a friend. Harley could get used to it. 

* * *

Peter didn't stop crying for over an hour after leaving Harley's room. Steve had been worried something was wrong with Harley, but when Peter had told them why he was crying, honestly Steve didn't believe it. Harley was the most protective person when it came to Peter, and he brought up Skip in an argument.

The poor baby was inconsolable for the first half hour, and they couldn't even get a word out of him. Then he had said Harley was mean and  _ why  _ he was so mean. Tony went to Harley's room to check on him because they knew that Harley was probably just as upset by their fight, but he hadn't wanted company. 

Now, it was nearing midnight and Peter was still awake, sniffling. He didn't want to sleep because he was scared to have nightmares, and Steve couldn't blame him. Harley was his safety and he had brought up a danger. 

"Do you wanna hear a bedtime story so you can fall asleep?" Tony asked, rubbing his hair gently. 

"No!" Peter shouted, shaking his head. "I don't wanna sleep!" 

Steve felt bad for the boy because it was so obvious that his body wanted to sleep, but he refused to let himself have it even as he sat under his covers. "Bud, we'll be right here. No one will come in. I promise." 

"He  _ always  _ comes in!" Peter cried with a hiccup. "When I'm s-sleeping he sneaks in!" 

"He won't," Steve promised. "He's in jail. He can't come near you and Tony and I are right here. We would  _ never  _ let anyone hurt you." 

"But he's in my head! When I close my eyes, he's waiting!" Peter was starting to work himself up again. 

Tony's phone started to ring at that moment and he winced, but pulled it out of his pocket. Someone calling this late had to have a good reason. His eyes widened when he read the phone and Steve recognized the worry. "It's Cooper…" 

"Go get it, I'll stay with him." Steve said, nodding his head towards Peter's open doorway. 

"Be right back." Tony hurried out of the room, answering the phone before he was even in the hallway. 

Steve focused on Peter though. "You can't keep yourself up, little guy. Your body needs sleep." 

"It's too scary!" Peter argued. "I don't wanna sleep! Never again!" 

"Aw, don't say that. You can't avoid sleep just because you're afraid of the bad dreams. What about all the good ones?" Steve gave him a small smile, trying to calm him down. 

"I only have bad ones!" Peter shouted, hugging his teddy bear to his chest. "Skip is gonna be there-- and Harley hates me now too!"

Steve wanted to pull him into his lap and hug him tightly, but he didn't think know what a good time for touching. "Oh, Pete...he doesn't hate you. He could  _ never  _ hate you." 

"But-- but he was so mean!" 

"I know. He was. And he will apologize to you." Steve was not going to let Harley think it was okay to use Skip against Peter like that, but he was fairly certain Harley knew that already. He was probably in his room beating himself up over his slip-up now. "But he's going through a lot. He has a lot of emotions and thoughts, and Harley is having a hard time sorting through them." 

"I have lots of 'motions! I'm not mean!" 

"You're not," Steve agreed. "But people are different. He's not as good at dealing with feelings like you are...but even you have trouble sometimes too, right?" 

Peter rubbed his nose with a sniffle. "Yeah." 

"Harley is struggling, and that doesn't excuse his behavior, but it makes it understandable." 

"Is that why you're not mad at him 'cus of the painting?" Peter asked wiping at his nose again. Steve handed him a tissue from the box they brought in with them. Steve was just glad to get the conversation away from nightmares and Skip. 

"Yes, I suppose. I know he's acting out and looking for a reaction. He's not going to get the reaction he wants, and that's okay. I think it's about time an adult in Harley's life acted like a parent to him." 

"You and Tony are good d--." Peter was cut off before he could finish his sentence, but Steve swore he was going to say  _ dads.  _

Tony rushed into the room, looking worried. "Steve, Harley's not in his room." 

Now, Steve understood why he was worried. "What?" 

"That was Cooper. They snuck out to a party and Harley is really drunk," Tony's eyes flicked to Peter, like he wasn't sure if he should have this conversation with him here. "He called me because he was worried and couldn't find the friend that drove them there. He said not to tell Clint, but I could keep this a secret." 

Steve nodded his head. "Good. I want Cooper to trust us, but not if it's dangerous." 

"I told Coop that I'd talk to him, and he said fine. Clint wasn't surprised, but I said we'd pick Cooper up when we got Harley. I don't think Harley would get in the car if Clint picked him up." 

"I doubt he'll get in the car when  _ we  _ pick him uo," Steve grumbled. 

"Hopefully, he listens. They're sitting on the curb outside the house." Tony glanced at Peter again. "Should one of us stay here? Should we drop him off at our moms'?" 

"No." Steve shook his head. "It's too late to see if our moms are up. But, I think the motion of the car would be good for him...maybe put him to sleep." 

Tony nodded his head in understanding. "Sounds like a good idea. Wrap him in a blanket. Let's go; I don't want them there too long." 

Steve wrapped Peter up and said, "Can I carry you to the car?" Peter nodded his head and Steve held him close to his chest and carried him out of his room.

"Where's Harley? What's he doin'?" Peter asked, looking up with a frown. 

"He's out where he shouldn't be. We're going to go pick him up before he gets into trouble," Steve answered as they walked out to the car. He kept Peter wrapped in the blanket as he buckled him up. He hesitated, wanting to press a kiss to Peter's head, but he stopped before he could. His father-instincts were getting harder and harder to fight.

He sat in the passenger seat after making sure Peter was settled, and Tony started driving towards the address he programmed into the GPS. "Did you get a chance to speak to Harley?" Steve asked quietly. 

"No." Tony's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. "He said that he was fine, but just laying on the grass." 

"We screwed up, Tony," Steve muttered. "We should have pushed harder to talk to him." 

"We can only do so much, Steve," Tony replied, not angrily. "I think pushing would have just made him pull away even more." 

"And now instead, we're just picking him up from a party he got wasted at." 

"We'll, that's normal right? It's not like we never went to parties and drank in school." 

"Yeah, but…" Steve wanted to say it was different because they had each other and they weren't trying to block out the world. They weren't running; they were just living. 

"I know," Tony said, reading his mind so he didn't have to, especially when a set of little ears was still in the car. 

Speaking of, Steve glanced in the rear view mirror and watched him for the next few minutes as he began to doze off from Tony's gentle driving. Steve smiled when his eyes finally fluttered shut and stayed closed. 

Steve knew they were close to the party when they reached a block with a lot of cars parked, and teenagers wandering around the sidewalk. Tony drove much more carefully as he continued down the street, keeping his eyes peeled so that no kid got in front of his car suddenly. 

"I don't see them," Steve said softly, his eyes scanning the area. 

"Look down on the grass. I think they're sitting." 

Steve looked at the curbs and soon saw two kids sitting by the house with the most action around it. One of them was sitting up, and the other was laying on their back. "Right there," Steve said, pointing to the spot. 

Tony stopped the car in the middle of the street since there was no room to park anywhere. Steve stepped out of the car and slowly made his way over to the boys. "Hey, Coop." 

Cooper looked up from where he had his head in his knees. He stood up and Steve noticed he was steady and didn't sway. His voice was free of slurring or stumbling when he spoke, "Thank God, Uncle Steve. I don't know if he drank too much, but he's not responding to me anymore." 

"It's alright, kiddo. Get in the car, okay? I'll handle Harley." Steve watched Cooper get into the car no problem, and he guessed he was probably sober. At least one of them was. 

Sighing, Steve turned back to where Harley was laying down and he took a few steps forward until he was looking down at him. Harley was staring up at the sky and didn't even seem to notice Steve's presence. 

"Hey, pal," he said quietly. "You okay?" 

Harley blinked a few times before he seemed to recognize Steve. Then his eyes widened and he pushed himself to his side. Unlike Cooper, he was obviously drunk. "Get 'way. Leave me 'lone." 

Steve reached to help him up, but Harley shoved his hand away from him. "Harley, don't fight me please. All of your classmates are here. They all have cameras on their phones. I don't want to embarass you." 

"Then go!" Harley swatted Steve’s hand away. 

“Nope. So stand up and come with me before I have to make a scene. This is your warning.” Steve kept his voice firm. He wasn’t giving Harley an option here. He wasn’t safe laying here while intoxicated on the ground in the middle of the night. 

“Whatever!” Harley grumbled, pushing himself up and standing without any help from Steve. He stumbled over to the car as Steve followed behind, keeping his hands near him just in case he fell. Steve had to open the door for him, and he made sure he was sitting and buckled in before he got back into the car himself. 

“If you have to throw up, Harley, we’ll open the window. Don’t hold it in,” Tony said as he pulled away from the house party. 

“Shut up,” Harley snapped from the backseat. 

“Harley,” Steve said in a warning. “Watch the attitude and watch the volume pelase. Your brother is asleep back there and I really don’t think you want him to wake up and see you like this.” 

“Why? ‘Cus I’m a big disappointment?” Harey asked, his voice still loud. 

“Hey, man, just c’mon…” Cooper said softly, trying to hush him. 

“Listen to Cooper. Just close your eyes and rest until we get home,” Steve said as Tony started driving to Clint’s house. “We’re not having this conversation right now.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because,” Steve said, trying to curb his frustration. “It took hours to get Peter to sleep. I don’t want him waking up. I doubt Cooper wants to hear the argument. And I don’t want you to say anything you can’t control.” 

As much as Steve would love to take advantage of his no filter due to inebriation, Steve couldn’t do that to his son. That was something a father like Howard Stark did. Harley was vulnerable right now-- more so than usual, and he needed protection. 

“I can control what I say. Anything I say is what I want to say!” He leaned forward and tried to get closer to the front seat, but Steve saw Cooper push him back in his spot. 

“You need to sleep, Harls. Talk about it tomorrow.” 

Harley listened, but he didn’t drop the conversation. “Doesn’t matter. They don’t treat me like a normal kid anyway so I won’t get in trouble.” 

Steve turned around to face Harley because if he wanted a conversation, then Steve was going to do his best to control it before it got out of hand. “What do you mean by that? How don’t we treat you like a normal child?” That was the most he’d gotten out of him since they started fostering him. 

“If I was your real kid you’d do something about me messin’ up your art show, and you’d yell at me for sneaking out,” Harley accused. “If I was your real kid, I’d be in trouble.” 

“You  _ are  _ our real kid,” Harley,” Steve said. “Both you and Peter are very much real to us, and we’re trying our best to be good dads to the both of you.” 

“I don’t want you to be our dads! I don’t wanna play house with you! It’s all fake and it’s all pretend!” Harley shouted, causing Peter to stir. “Peter may fall for it, but I don’t! I don’t wanna be your stupid kid.” 

Cooper was quiet now, staring down at the floorboard of the car. Steve felt embarrassed to be having this conversation in front of him. What if Cooper started to hate him too? What if Cooper told his parents that he was a horrible father? 

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Harley--.” 

“Shut up! Stop always trying to make everything better!” Harley kicked Steve’s seat hard. 

“Harley, don’t make me stop the car,” Tony warned. 

Harley kicked Steve’s seat a few more times, and Steve could see Tony’s eye twitching. Steve reached out and put a hand on Tony’s arm to calm him down. 

“Let me walk home.” 

“That’s not happening,” Tony answered. “You don’t even know where you are right now.” 

“Whatever,” Harley grumbled, giving up on kicking Steve’s seat. Steve wanted to scream if he heard Harley say  _ whatever  _ one more time. 

When they pulled up in front of Clint’s house, Steve got out and opened the door in the back. He expected Harley to try and make a run for it, honestly, but he didn’t. He stepped out so Cooper could get out and then he got right back inside after. Steve eyed him as he took his seat, staying far from Peter, before shutting the door and walking Cooper to the front porch. 

Before Steve could knock, Cooper whispered, “Don’t take it too hard. I don’t think he hates you.”

Steve chuckled dryly. “I don’t know. That’s the most he’s ever talked to me probably, and none of it was good.” 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Cooper repeated. “It’s the opposite of that, actually.” 

Steve frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He likes you and Tony. He’s scared to let you in. He’s scared to have someone else looking out for Peter too-- and a bit jealous. But he doesn’t hate you.” Cooper shrugged his shoulders. “I think he’s just trying to make you hate him because that’s easier for him.” 

“I could never,” Steve said immediately. 

Cooper smiled. “I know. You’re doing good. You’re a good dad. Harley knows it too.” 

Steve felt some tension leave his shoulders. “Thank you, Coop.” He pulled him in for a hug. “Sorry, I had to tell your dad about tonight.” 

“It’s alright. Sorry I encouraged Harley to sneak out.” 

Steve smiled. “You’re kids. It’s normal.” Then he knocked on the door and almost instantly, Clint was on the other end, with a stern father look on his face. 

“Cooper James Barton, you are in  _ so much trouble.”  _

Cooper gave Steve a weak smile. “Welp, now it’s my turn. See ya later, Uncle Steve. Good luck.” 

“Thank you, Cooper. Have a good night.” Once Cooper walked inside towards his room, presumably, Steve turned to Clint and said, “Go easy on him. I don’t even think he’s drunk. He was looking out for Harley the entire night.” 

Clint looked over Steve’s shoulder to the car and then back to Steve. “First sneak out...good luck.” He clapped Steve on the shoulder. “And thank you for bringing Coop back home. 

“Any time,” Steve answered. “Now I gotta go because I’m afraid of leaving them alone in the car for too long.” 

Clint winced. “Let me know how it goes in the morning.” 

Steve nodded before turning around and heading back to the car. Harley was leaning against the window with his eyes squeezed shut. He got back into the car, and Tony started driving to their house. Turning around, Steve checked to make sure that Peter was still sound asleep in his carseat. Thankfully, he was. 

Cooper’s words from the porch calmed Steve down enough to not want to start anything tonight. Harley  _ wanted  _ him to get mad; he wanted Steve to explode. But he refused to give in. Harley was wrong in thinking that he needed to keep Steve and Tony out of his life, and Steve wasn’t going to give up until he realized that. 

When they pulled into their driveway, Steve walked to the back and pulled out Peter, carrying him towards the house, still wrapped up in his blanket. Harley followed behind with Tony at his side, in case he fell over. 

Harley was walking towards his room, but Tony stopped him. “Nope. You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” 

“Is this some kinda punish...ment?” Harley muttered, glaring at Tony. “I need privacy and stuff.” 

“Well, you should have thought about that before getting trashed,” Tony responded. “You’re sleeping on the couch, and Steve and I will take turns watching you tonight. I don’t want you choking on your own vomit.”

Harley didn’t argue as he stumbled to the couch and crashed to the cushion. 

“Sleep on your side,” Tony called over to him. Harley grudgingly did so. Tony turned to Steve and said, “Tuck him in and I’ll get him some water and aspirin.” 

“Alright, love. Thank you.” Steve leaned over and kissed his cheek. Thank God he had Tony as a partner in this. He didn't know what he'd do without him. 

Steve tucked Peter into bed, and waited a few extra minutes to ensure that he stayed asleep. He had a feeling he'd hear him wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare, but hopefully, he got as much sleep as possible before the terrors came. 

Sneaking back out to the living room, he saw Tony rubbing Harley's back as his head was stuck in a bucket. Then the sound of retching and vomit hitting the bottom of the bucket hit his ears. 

"It's alright, Harley. Let it all out. You're okay. I'm here," Tony whispered soothingly as he rubbed Harley's back. 

Steve walked over and in a low voice asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Fetch me a cool cloth please. And maybe some paper towels." Tony gave him an apologetic smile. He winced when Harley had another particularly violent heave.

"Tonight's gonna be a long night," Steve said. "I can tell." 

Tony nodded his head with a grim look. "Yup. But, remember, babe. We're in this together." 

And at least God had some mercy on them because it wasn't until Harley stopped puking his brains out and Tony had him cleaned up and sleeping on the couch that Peter woke up in his bedroom with a startled cry from a nightmare.

They were real dads, whether Harley liked it or not. Nothing about this was pretend-- not the way Tony washed Harley's sweaty face with a cool rag and not the way that Steve held Peter's head against his chest, rocking him to try and stop his crying. 

"S-Stop him! Please!" Peter cried as he clung to Steve’s shirt. "I don't like it!" 

The tears poured freely down Steve’s cheeks as he tried to hush him. "You're alright, bud. I'm here. He's gone." 

"Stop!" Peter begged, his voice breaking as the scream tore through his throat. "Skip, stop!" 

Steve held him tighter, and this overwhelming feeling of protectiveness was the love he had for Peter. None of this love, for Peter and for Harley, was fake. Not a single bit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's been really shitty because life and Anxiety, so I would love every single comment you leave to give me a smile. Thank you.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it's because I asked for a smile or if you guys enjoyed the last chapter more than usual, but I had 50+ reviews!! That's crazy!!!! I haven't had a chance to respond yet because I like to wait until I'm about to update, but I might do them in the morning. My CLD has been acting up, and the fatigue is killing me today. I figured I'd rather use my energy right now to update this, and wait until I wake up to handle the reviews. I do want to thank you all though and let you know that every single review made me smile and I reread them often. 
> 
> Now onto the next chapter....a chapter I've been looking forward to since before I started writing. Ahhh I can't wait for you to read this!

When Harley woke up the next morning, he felt every single mistake he’d ever made in life pounding against his skull. He groaned and rolled over to try and hide his face in his pillow so he wouldn’t have to face the world yet. 

Bits of last night came to his mind, making him feel nauseous from the amount of alcohol he drank and the reminder of how Steve and Tony had to take care of him for hours. He was never going to drink again, he vowed. 

He wanted to just fall back to sleep for the rest of his life, but the dryness of his mouth stopped him. It was like someone had stuck a vacuum in his mouth and sucked any drop of moisture from him. Lifting his head, he could just barely see a glass of water through his blearly eyesight. 

He lifted the glass to his lips and suscked down a few mouthfuls before putting it back to the table. He slammed it a little too loudly, getting the attention from the others in the room. 

“Is the party animal finally up?” 

Harley just groaned in response. 

“Sounds like he is, Tony. You think he wants a nice greasy burger for breakfast?” Steve asked from somewhere behind him. 

The thought made Harley gag as he covered his mouth, afraid he’d throw up again. He  _ really  _ didn’t want to. 

Tony's voice was more gentle than Steve's. “I think the water is fine for now. Maybe some toast. Right, Harley?” 

Harley didn’t want to join the living world, but he also didn’t want to stay asleep on the couch while Steve and Tony could just watch him. He felt way too vulnerable. Begrudgingly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Almost immediately, he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, begging the world to stop spinning. 

“Not having fun anymore, huh?” Steve asked, sounding way too chipper. He also sounded cranky and maybe a little annoyed. That was what Harley had wanted, but suddenly, it was the opposite of what he wanted. He hated that he wanted to hear his voice so warm and soothing, telling him that it was all going to be okay as he shook in Tony’s arms. Like last night.

“Shhh. Please.” 

“No can do, buster. We gave you your peace last night, but now we’ve got to talk before Peter wakes up.” Steve took a seat on the coffee table in front of the couch. Tony flanked his side, looking apologetic. 

Harley used that to his advantage. “C’mon, Tony, you’re really gonna let him bug me after my rough night? Can’t we just chalk it all up to teenage rebellion and call it a day?” 

Tony pursed his lips. “Harley, you know we can’t do that, and you know that’s not all that was. We have a few things to talk about starting with your little stunt in Steve’s art gallery.” 

Harley groaned. “Oh, my God. Are we really going to do this? While I’m still hungover?” 

“Consider it part of your punishment,” Steve replied. “And maybe a reminder to never drink as unsafely as you did last night.” 

Harley rolled his eyes. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve been drinking since before I was double digits. It’s nothing new.” He enjoyed the way both of their faces morphed into disbelief at his words. 

“It won’t be tolerated in this house,” Steve replied, surprising Harley a little. He was expecting more of a pitiful response to that. 

“You’re not my father. You will never be my father. So don’t--.” 

“Harley, stop it,” Tony said, a warning in his voice. He only got terse with Harley when he was rude to Steve. It was the best way to get a reaction from him because Tony usually tried so hard to be the “cool” parent. 

“I just don’t know why I’m getting yelled at for drinking. I bet you two got drunk plenty of times before you were 21. I bet you snuck out too.” Harley crossed his arms over his chest, daring them to argue that. 

“You should know better!” Steve said, and Harley wasn’t sure  _ why  _ he should know better than them as a teenager. Was it because he went through more shit in his life? Because besides for a shit dad, the two of them had been pretty sheltered compared to Harley? What was so different? Tony and Steve hated Howard, so they no doubt snuck out at least once. Harley wanted to hate Tony and Steve, so he snuck out. Same soup, just reheated. 

“Why should I know better? Because you think I’m acting just like my mother?” He sneered. “Are you afraid that I’ll end up just like her?” 

Steve took a steadying breath. “This isn't about her. This is about  _ you  _ and  _ your life.”  _

“She’s part of my life!” Harley said, standing up and biting his lip past the pain of his hangover. 

“Of course she is,” Steve said, standing up too. “But what part of your life is she a part of? Is she part of a  _ good  _ part of your life? A part of your life where you were loved unconditionally and protected? Because I’m not sure you understand what life you’re throwing away in exchange for that one back. Because something tells me that the little boy in that bedroom, who spent the night sobbing his eyes out through his endless panic attacks, would not agree with you.” 

Harley felt his own eyes tear up when he saw Steve’s grow misty. Harley knew if there was one thing that he had in common with Tony and Steve, it was their love for Peter. _Harley_ was the reason that Peter was having panic attacks last night, in more ways than one. “I didn’t want to upset him. We argued and-- it slipped out. I shouldn’t have said what I said.” 

Tony stood up, raising his hands in a placating manner between them. “We all say things we don’t mean in the heat of the moment. It doesn’t mean we care about each other any less.”

Harley turned away to stare at the ground as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He didn’t say another word. 

“Harley, we’ve been  _ very  _ patient with you,” Tony continued. “We will continue to be patient, but we cannot let these last few days slide. You deliberately ruined Steve’s gallery and set up Peter to take the fall; you weren’t very nice to your brother and mentioned Skip; you snuck out of the house to go to a party and get drunk. Your attitude also doesn’t help your cause here.” 

Harley huffed as Tony listed his misbehaviors. 

“We’ve decided that being grounded for a week is a good place to start,” Steve said, his voice calm and collected again. 

Harley looked up at Tony with wide eyes.  _ “Grounded?  _ Tell me he’s joking.” 

“We’ve  _ both  _ agreed on that punishment, Harley,” Tony said, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t think it’s too much. If you would give a genuine apology to the people you’ve hurt these last few days, starting with Steve, then maybe we can talk about it.” 

Harley flared his nose. “I have  _ nothing  _ to apologize for. I was just being a stupid teenager! If you weren’t prepared for one then you should have let me be at the fair!” Despite his words, Harley couldn’t say he regretted them fostering him and Peter. Peter was in a good home here, and he was happy. 

“Fair enough,” Steve said. “If you want to behave like some teenager, you will be punished like one. No video games or TV for a week. No staying after school with Cooper. I’ll drop you off and pick you up from school everyday. You’ll do your homework, chores, eat dinner, and go to bed.” 

“Ah!” Harley grunted, regretting it when it only made his headache worse. “I hate you both!” He stomped his foot before storming away from the living room into this bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind him so hard that some stupid little figurine that had been on his shelf when he moved in fell to the ground. 

This time, neither Tony nor Steve came and knocked on his door to check on him. He was all alone. 

* * *

After Harley’s explosion, Peter had woken up. They had only gotten him to sleep soundly a few hours ago, so Tony and Steve were a little annoyed that Harley had disrupted it. It was too late in the day to try and get him back to sleep anyway. 

Peter was tired and he was still spooked from last night’s terrors. His speech was back to almost complete silence, save for a few one word answers. Tony was just grateful that they were still allowed to hear his voice at all when he was so upset. 

Steve said he’d make Peter’s favorite dinner-- breakfast for dinner with sprinkle pancakes, of course, after he got some things settled for work. He was getting closer and closer to converting his art gallery to an art studio, and Tony was so excited for him. He never really liked the art gallery life for Steve anyway; he was a talented artist himself and had so much more to offer than just showcasing other people’s work. Teaching art to kids was so much better for him. 

While Steve was handling work and dinner, Tony took his little buddy and headed out to the backyard where their tree house was begging to be built. Peter was timid and slow as he followed Tony up the ladder, but Tony didn’t push him. When they were up there, Peter took a spot in the corner while Tony started to get to work on the walls. Tony started the conversation while he waited for Peter to feel more comfortable. 

“This is gonna be a super cool place, y’know. It could be a pirate ship or a UFO or a bunker. Imagination has no limits, squirt.” Tony gave him a smile, but he didn’t smile back. “We can even just make it into a little fort. Put some books and toys up here. A sign that says no girls allowed.” 

Peter made a face. “But, Lila is my friend. I want to show her how cool it will look.” 

“Then girls allowed!” Tony said with a laugh. “You make the rules, kiddo.”

“You and Steve are allowed up here,” he decided. “Harley too if he wants.” 

“I’m sure Harley would love to come up here with you.” Tony paused his building to take a seat next to Peter. “Why do you think he wouldn’t?” 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “He’s been acting weird. He’s not the same.” 

“He still loves you though. No matter what, he will  _ always  _ love you.” Tony placed his hand on the floorboard between them and Peter placed his little hand on top. Tony smiled softly. “Do you believe me?”

“Yeah…” Peter started to play with the wedding band around Tony’s finger, and Tony watched him with the same patient smile on his face. God, he loved this kid so much it scared him. He would kill and die for this little boy. 

Peter continued to play with his wedding band, and Tony wondered if there was something running around in his mind other than his normal  _ LegoscartoonsfoodGremlins  _ kind of thoughts. 

“I’m sorry for last night,” he mumbled, finally, still not looking away from the ring he was playing with. 

“Sorry? What’re you sorry for, lovebug?” Tony asked, the name slipping off his tongue easily. He reached over and wrapped his arms around Peter, scooping him into his lap. Peter didn’t fight him or try to leave his hold; in fact, he curled closer to his side. 

“I have so many bad dreams. I don’t like bothering you and Steve,” Peter whispered, his hand wrapped around the finger with his wedding band on it. 

“You never have to apologize for your bad dreams, Pete. I promise that taking care of you is  _ never  _ a bother to Steve or me.” Tony leaned down and pressed his cheek against the top of Peter’s head. His curls tickled his nose. “We  _ want  _ to take care of you and help you with everything. It’s why we started fostering you. It’s why we want to adopt you.” 

“But I’m damaged and broken!” Peter argued, hiding his face in Tony’s chest. The phrase didn’t sound like words Peter strung together from his vocabulary. It sounded like he had heard it before and it was ingrained in his mind. 

“You’re not, Petey. I promise you’re not. Who told you such a horrible lie?” Tony began to rub his back, hoping that it would be comforting enough to keep him from having another panic attack. Not that Tony couldn’t handle it, but he was so tired of seeing his boy hurting. 

“S-Skip told me that. He said that no-one would want me if they knew! He said that we’d have to go back to the other house if I told anyone, and that was the house Harley got so hurt at.” Peter sniffled loudly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. “I didn’t know it was so bad. He--He said it was okay. But I didn’t like it.” 

Tony pulled Peter in close and started to rock him. He wondered if Peter had opened up like this to anyone else about Skip. It wasn’t healthy for him to be keeping things like this inside his mind. “I know you didn’t like it. It was  _ horrible  _ what he did to you. He is a monster, and you were very brave for staying in that situation to protect Harley. I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been.” 

Peter nodded his head, his voice sounding thick with unshed tears. “I should have told him, but it was so embarrassing! And-- And I knew that Harley would make us leave and go back to the old house if he knew. I never wanted him to know!” 

Tony wondered  _ how  _ Harley found out and how they got out of Skip’s home. Did Peter tell Harley eventually? Or maybe Scott? Tony wished he knew just to understand more of what he had been through, but he knew better than to push. He was lucky he was getting this information without prying. There was only one thing he  _ had  _ to say during this conversation. “I hope you know he was lying to you, Peter.” 

Peter just shrugged his shoulders with a quiet hum. 

Tony lifted him up so that they were facing each other and looking each other in the eyes. “You are not broken or damaged or whatever else Skip called you. You are brave and strong. You’re smart and you’re adorable. You are a bright little boy that does not deserve the things that he did to you. But it still happened, and I can’t change that.” 

A single tear escaped from Peter’s eye and trailed down his cheek. 

“But I can remind you that you are loved. Your family loves you no matter what, baby. That includes Harley, Steve, me, and all your aunts and uncles. You are not damaged. You are not broken.” Tony used a calloused thumb to wipe away the tear. “Can you repeat that for me?” 

Peter’s lower lip wobbled and he opened his mouth, only to shut it a second later. 

“It’s alright. Take your time,” Tony said patiently, not letting his smile waver. 

So after a few deep breaths, Peter tried again. “I am not d--damaged. I am n-not broken.” 

“Again.” 

“I am not...damaged. I am not broken.” 

Tony’s smile lifted. “Again. Louder.” 

“I am not damaged,” Peter said without a waver in his voice. “I am not broken.” 

Tony grinned and lifted him up as he stood to his feet. He brought him to the open side of the tree house with no walls up yet, and he gestured to the neighborhood of houses. “Tell the world. Scream it to them.” 

Peter curled up bashfully, hiding his face in his neck. “No!” 

“Oh, come on, kiddo! It’s freeing! I’ll do it first.” Tony paused a moment and took in a deep breath before he screamed to the air, “I am not damaged! I am not broken!” 

Peter gasped when he yelled, as if he didn’t expect him to. He lifted his head and looked up to Tony with wide eyes. 

Tony smiled and announced even louder, “Hear that world?! I am not damaged! I am not broken!” He looked down at Peter and winked. “Your turn, squirt.” 

Peter was smiling nervously as he spoke, and while his voice was nowhere near as loud as Tony’s it was loud for Peter. “I am not damaged! I am not broken!” 

Tony laughed triumphantly and twirled him around in his arms. “That’s my boy! I’m so proud of you!” He pulled him in for a tight hug. "I want you to do that more often when you feel broken, okay? Look yourself in the mirror and repeat those two sentences over and over until you believe it. And if you have trouble believing it, you find me or Steve." 

Peter nodded as he hugged him back, wrapping his arms around Tony’s neck and his legs around his waist. “I like your hugs,” he said in a small whisper. 

“Good thing, peanut. Because I love your hugs too.” Tony held him longer just because he said that. “And whenever you’re feeling  _ anything.  _ Scared, sad, angry, happy...even if you don’t know what you’re feeling, I want you to tell me or Steve. Okay?” 

Peter nodded his head, still squeezing Tony tightly. 

“I wanna know if you broke your favorite crayon and that makes you sad; come tell me. I wanna know if you had a good lunch and that makes you happy; come tell me. I wanna know if you have a bad dream and that makes you scared; come tell me.  _ Please.”  _ Tony rubbed his back again. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good beans,” Tony said and waited for Peter to loosen his grip before settling him down to his feet. He looked down at him and said, just in case his mind was telling him otherwise. “I love you so much, lovebug. As the days pass, my love for you only grows. Nothing will ever change that.” 

Peter giggled at the nickname with his adorable boyish grin that brought out his dimples. “I love you too!” 

“Whaddya say we get back to our building, huh? I want this done by the next family dinner night so we can show it off to Uncle Bucky.” 

Peter nodded his head, and ran over to Tony’s toolbox and grabbed the hammer. Now, he was acting with his normal excitement and energy. Unfortunately, just as Tony kneeled down to set up a nail for Peter to hit in, he heard a loud commotion from the ground below. Frowning, he stood up and walked to the edge of the tree house and watched as three teenage boys climbed out of Harley’s window. 

“What the hell…” Tony muttered, feeling so utterly confused as he heard Steve and Harley yelling at each other inside. Tony had left the two of them alone in the house for a few hours and all hell was breaking loose. 

The boys all stumbled over one another, trying to get out of the yard. Tony had an idea who they were running from, but he wondered what Steve said to get them moving like that. 

Then Harley was climbing out of the window. "You want to kick them out, then I'm going too!" 

Tony's eyes widened as Steve climbed out of the window too-- all 6'2 and 220lbs of him. "Harley, get back here! You're grounded!" 

Glancing back at Peter, who was also watching the scene now curiously, Tony said, "Stay here. I'm gonna go diffuse the situation." 

"Okay," he replied uncertainly. "Good luck." 

"Thank you," Tony said before climbing down the ladder and hurrying over to his two boys. He ran so he made it in front of Harley before he could get away with the other kids. 

"Get out of here, Tony!" Harley yelled. 

"No way in hell, kid. Let's all just calm down and take a deep breath." His eyes danced from Harley to Steve, who looked livid. His face was bright red and the vein in his forehead made an appearance with his Irish temper. 

"He acts like a  _ psycho!  _ You married a literal psychopath!" Harley yelled, jabbing his finger in Steve's direction. 

Tony tried to keep his voice light. "I know it's weird that he ate ice cream with a fork that one time, but I don't think he's an actual--." 

"Tony, can you be serious for just one fucking second?!" Harley roared, throwing his hands up in the air. "Your  _ husband  _ made my friends climb out my window!" 

"Okay, number one! Them?" Steve gestured to the kids that were already in their car and driving away. "So not your friends! Number two, if they snuck in through the window then they can leave through the window too!" 

"Harley," Tony said, "I thought we said you were grounded literally this morning. Why did you have people over? Who even are they?" 

"I met them at the party last night. I wanted to see them, and that's why they came over." 

"But you're grounded!" Steve yelled. "Don't you know what grounded means?" 

Harley turned around to face Steve. "No," he said sarcastically. "I have no idea! I guess I'm just used to being beaten as a punishment that I have no idea--." 

Steve had a response ready for that wise crack; Tony could tell from the look in his eyes. But he never got a chance to say it because Harley cut off his angry vent with a panicked shout. 

"Peter, put that down!" 

Tony's eyes darted up to the tree house, where Peter was holding a nail gun. At the sound of Harley's sudden yell, Peter dropped the gun and it all seemed to go in slow motion to Tony. 

The heavy gun fell from his hands and it landed on his foot. The pressure from the fall sent out a loud bang of a nail being shot and Tony could tell by the shocked look on Peter's face that the nail went through his foot. 

Tony ran forward when he saw him take a step back in pain or maybe shock...and he stepped right off the side of the tree house. Tony dove, trying to catch him at the last second, but he hit the ground a few feet away from him. 

It was so silent in the yard, Tony could heard the sound of Peter's small body hitting the ground, all of the air leaving his lungs, and a sharp crack. 

Then, Peter started to scream. 

Tony couldn't shove himself to his feet, so he half-stumbled-half-crawled his way over to Peter. He was curled up in a ball with his back to Tony, clutching his leg. 

"You're alright, peanut. I've got you." Tony brushed his hair from his face in a small comforting gesture before moving his attention to the leg and foot that was in pain. 

"Peter! Oh, my God!" Harley shouted, falling to his knees besides Tony. He must have seen the nail in Peter's foot still with the wound oozing blood. "Take it out!" 

Tony shook his head and pull off his flannel shirt to wrap around his foot. "We have to leave it in until we get to the hospital." 

"I've got the keys, Tony! I'm getting the car ready!" Steve shouted, somewhere behind him.

Tony scooped Peter up in his arms and lifted him to his chest, holding him close. He let out another pained scream at the movement and Tony tried hushing him quietly. He hoped his murmurs weren't as useless as they felt. "You're alright, lovebug. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you." 

"I--It  _ hurts!"  _ Peter wailed as he ran across the yard and to the car. Steve was already in the front seat, waiting. 

Harley followed behind Tony and Tony heard him crying, but right now, he had to focus on Peter. Once Tony piled into the back with Peter on his lap, Harley followed in. Tony didn't hesitate before pulling the teenager close against his side to comfort both his sons. 

Peter's loud cries filled the car as Steve floored it and sped through the streets. Tony kept one arm wrapped around Peter and the other wrapped around Harley. He wasn't sure which he was talking to when he repeated, "It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay." 

Peter continued to scream, even when he couldn't suck in enough air to give it his all. Tony hated that the cries he heard last night as he begged Skip to leave him alone were a million times worse than these now. 

“It shouldn’t be too much longer,” Steve said, glancing in the rearview mirror nervously every few seconds. 

_ “It hurts!”  _ Peter screamed so loud that Harley tensed against Tony’s side. 

“I know, Pete. I know it hurts. We’re gonna fix it real quick, alright? The doctors will take out the nail and then they’ll set your leg, and you’ll feel so much better.” Tony continued to ramble on, hoping that his voice was soothing even a little bit to either of his boys. “And then you’ll get a cool cast and we’ll all sign it. Maybe we’ll have our favorite artist draw a little picture on it too. Sound cool?” 

Peter’s screaming died down to just heavy breathing through panicked sobs by the time Steve was pulling up in front of the hospital. Steve didn’t even check to see if he was allowed to park there before he was throwing the car into park and stumbling out of the car. He ripped open the door even before Harley could open it, so roughly that Tony was afraid he was going to rip it off the hinges. 

He helped Harley and Tony out of the car before running in ahead of them. “We need a doctor please! Our son has a nail stuck in his foot and I think he broke his leg!” 

Hearing Steve say it out loud made Tony feel like a terrible parent, but he had to remember that Peter and Harley had had terrible parents before. The difference between them and the actual horrible ones was that the horrible ones were the ones hurting them. 

A doctor rushed forward to take Peter from his arms, but he was a male and he was a stranger. Peter let out a strangled scream and threw himself back in Tony’s arms. Tony looked at the doctor desperately. “Do you have a female ER doc on call right now? I’m sorry--.” 

Before he could even blink, there was a woman-- or maybe he did blink and time just wasn’t moving right. “Right this way, sir.” 

Harley and Steve followed Tony as they hurried into a hospital bed with a curtain around it. Tony laid Peter down, but made sure his head was always above Peter’s face. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, okay?” 

“Sir, we need to take out the nail and set his leg. Do you think you can hold him while we do that?” 

“Of course,” Tony said, nodding his head and putting his hands on Peter’s shoulders. That just made Peter’s screaming worse. 

“D-Don’t!” Peter yelled, his voice so hoarse from all of his screaming. 

Harley stepped forward, his face as pale as a sheet. “He doesn’t like to be held down.” He came over to Peter’s side and Tony noticed his hands were shaking as he started lifting Peter up. 

Tony kneeled by Peter’s head and took over for Harley, making sure that Peter was sitting up without moving his leg but was still comfortable. “Thank you, Harley,” Tony said, but it was like he didn’t even hear him. 

One of the doctors began to count down and Tony tensed, ready for Peter’s struggle. And he did with a pained scream. “Stop! It  _ hurts!”  _

Harley’s face went from white to green. Tony put a hand over his and looked over at Steve. “Sweetheart, why don’t you bring Harley out to get some water? And start all the paperwork we’ll need to do?” He hoped that Steve understood exactly why he was sending him outside. Not because Steve needed to leave to do any of that, but because Harley needed to get away from his brother’s screaming. 

“C’mon, Harley, let’s give them some room, yeah?” Steve put a hand on Harley’s back and Harley didn’t shove Steve away. He took a step into Steve’s side and let him lead them out of the space and into another section of the ER. 

Tony looked back down at Peter, who was writhing in pain on the bed. His face was damp from sweat and tears, and Tony wished he could chase away all of the pain. “You’re okay, lovebug. They’re gonna set your leg and then put it into a cast. You’re so strong. You’re so brave.” 

“It hurts!” He cried, squeezing his eyes shut, causing tears to pour down the side of his temples. “I’m so scared!” 

Tony was struggling to keep himself from breaking as he spoke around the lump in his throat. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

“3, 2, 1…” 

“Daddy, stop them!” Peter yelled, going tense as they set his leg before collapsing in Tony’s arms, against the bed. “Daddy!” 

Tony’s tears trailed down his cheeks as he leaned to press a kiss to Peter’s forehead. “Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you. You’re safe now, lovebug. I promise.” 

Hearing Peter call him  _ Daddy  _ was enough to make Tony’s heart swell with love, but he couldn’t let himself celebrate. Not when Peter was still in so much pain, crying in a hospital bed. 

He used his sleeve to dry his face and wipe the snot from his upper lip. Peter gasped a few times, attempting to calm his breathing. “Is--Is it over, Daddy?” 

“It is, Pete. They’re just gonna wrap it up. What color would you like?”

Peter sniffled and thought about the question seriously before he asked in a little voice, “Can it be yellow?” 

“Of course, lovebug. You like the color yellow?” Tony asked quietly, brushing some hair off of his forehead. 

Peter nodded his head, his lower lip still wobbling slightly. “It reminds me of happy. Like the sun and big hugs.” 

“I love you  _ so much,  _ baby boy. Do you know that?” Tony pressed another kiss to his forehead. 

“I love you too, Daddy,” Peter whispered and before his eyelids fluttered shut,  Tony gave him a smile, hoping the sight reminded him of the color yellow too. 

* * *

Harley followed Steve out of the room, wishing he could get Peter’s screams out of his head. He  _ hated  _ those screams. Those screams haunted his nightmares. He felt close to passing out, and he didn’t think it was because of the hangover anymore. He stayed close to Steve’s side, feeling numb as he went through the motions. 

He barely heard Steve tell the nurse he was Peter’s father-- his foster father-- and all of the details of the accident before they were outside and moving the car to a safer parking spot. Still, Harley didn’t say a word and only let Steve steer him where he needed to go. He didn’t want to deal with everything around him and he didn’t want to deal with the memories that were connected to those screams. 

He knew he was safe with Steve here, so he let himself go on autopilot. Steve sat him down at a seat, and he knew Peter had to be done screaming, but he still heard it in his head. Steve pressed a plastic cup into his hand and said, “Drink some juice please. Your blood sugar is probably low.” 

Harley didn’t know what was wrong with blood sugar or what juice had to do with it, but Steve asked him to drink, so he started to sip it slowly. Steve sat by his side, rubbing his back softly as he spoke to him in a near whisper. Harley really didn’t know what he was saying, but the sound of his voice was soothing. 

It wasn’t until Tony came back and he wasn’t with Peter that he snapped out of his numb daze. He shot up to his feet a little too quickly, and probably would have fallen over if Steve wasn’t there to steady him. “Where’s Peter?”

“He’s in his room. He’s got the X-Rays and he’s got the cast on. He fell asleep right after, so I figured I’d come and get you both.” Tony looked exhausted too, and Harley almost forgot that it was just last night that he was sitting by Harley’s side as he threw up and by Peter’s side when he woke from a nightmare. He wondered if either Steve or Tony got any sleep last night. 

“Is he…” Harley swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony said, nodding his head. “He’s okay. But I don’t want him to wake up alone.” 

Harley went with the motions of following Tony to Peter’s room just as he’d been doing since Steve pulled him out of the room earlier. He let out a heavy breath when he saw Peter asleep in his bed, a yellow cast covering his leg. Once again, Steve made sure he didn’t fall as he assisted him over to the chair next to Peter’s bed. 

Harley took Peter’s hand in his and held it gently. The last time he had been in a hospital bed like this was after...after Skip. They had to do so many tests before releasing him. Peter wouldn’t even speak to any of the doctors to tell them what exactly happened. Harley barely knew anything himself, if he was even in his right mind that day to help. 

“He’s…” Harley wasn’t sure what he was going to say after that, but a knock at the door interrupted him. Harley’s head whipped over and saw Scott standing in the doorway with a balloon tied to a teddy bear. 

“Hey, kid,” Scott said to Harley. “Heard about the fall.” 

Harley’s heart rate immediately started to race. Scott was a good guy, but at the end of the day, he was a social worker. He had showed up just like this after Skip, with questions and a new home ready. 

Harley didn’t say a word as he watched Scott walk over and place the bear on the table next to Peter’s bed. Scott turned to Steve and Tony and said, “I’m sorry about the timing of all this, but I think it’s better we do this when the kiddo’s asleep. You mind answering a few questions and just telling me what happened?”

“O-Of course,” Steve stuttered, his eyes fluttering over to Peter nervously. “Uh, should we step out--?”

“No!” Harley said, jumping to his feet. “Don’t say anything, Steve.” 

“What-- like we need our lawyers present or something? Harley, it was an accident,” Tony said. “I’m sure Scott knows--.” 

“Don’t listen to anything they say,” Harley said, his heart pounding against his chest. “Peter and I were playing in the backyard. Tony told us not to go up into the tree house when it wasn’t ready, but we did anyway. I was supposed to be watching Peter, and he fell. It’s not their fault.” 

“But--.” Harley glared over at Steve and Tony, warning them to  _ shut up.  _

“If it happened any other way, we'd be in trouble,” Harley said. “Even if it was an accident, this is stuff that kids get taken away for.” Harley was damned if he was going to let the two of them be moved again when they were  _ finally  _ in a safe house. 

Scott nodded his head and started to write that down on the notepad he had with him. “So, just an accident from a game in the yard?”

Harley nodded his head. “Yup. I should have been more careful. It was  _ my  _ fault.” And that part, at least, he wasn’t lying about. Peter had only fallen because Harley startled him with his yell. 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Harley,” Scott said. “Kids break bones when they’re having fun. It’s normal.” 

Harley didn’t think any part of his life was normal, but he wasn’t about to cry about his problems to his social worker. That was just looking for trouble with a capital T and a side of therapy. 

“If that’s it then, I’ll just see myself out to leave you in peace. Tell Pete I stopped by and I hope he’s feeling better.” Scott gave them a smile before leaving the room as Steve and Tony thanked him. 

The moment he was gone and the door was shut, Steve whirled around to face him. “Why did you lie, Harley?”

“Because just like I said, Steve. CPS doesn’t care if it was an  _ accident.  _ They’ll figure out a way to blame you unless I take full responsibility. It was my fault anyway. I just fudged some of the details.” Harley stared down at his sleeping brother. 

“Thank you,” Steve said quietly. 

“I did it for Peter,” he said, too exhausted to snap. “I did it for him…” 

“I know,” Steve said, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his back. “You’re a good big brother.” 

“I’ve been a dick to him,” Harley said, his voice cracking. “He could have-- he could have  _ died  _ and I would have never gotten my chance to apologize. Our last time together would have been--.” 

Steve kneeled down next to him and rubbed his shoulders. “Hey, no...you can’t think like that. It was a big fall and it was scary, but Peter’s okay. He’s gonna heal and be just fine. When he wakes up, you can apologize and I know he’ll forgive you.” 

“I don’t deserve it,” he grumbled. 

“Yes, you do,” Steve said. “You’re not a bad person, Harley. No matter how hard you try to make us believe that you are. You are so  _ good.”  _

Harley sniffled and wiped at his face. He didn’t think so. He especially didn’t think he was good to Steve. But he didn’t think arguing with Steve would get him anywhere. “I’m kinda tired...do you think--?”

“You lay next to him in bed,” Tony said immediately. “Once Pete wakes up, we’ll head home. Enjoy some rest for now.” 

Harley nodded his head and climbed into bed with Peter, pulling him close to his side. He could already feel his eyes slipping shut as he glanced over at Tony and Steve. “Thank you. For protecting him.”  _ When I couldn’t.  _

“You’re welcome, son,” Steve rubbed his arm as he stood up. “You rest now. Tony and I will watch over you.” 

And Harley really didn’t want to, but he felt safe with them there. He felt so safe that his eyes drifted shut without trying to pry themselves back open, and he fell asleep easily into a peaceful slumber with Peter sleeping soundly in his arms. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I made medical mistakes please forgive me.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kind responses again! Every Monday and Thursday after I wake up, the first thing I do is check my inbox. So for all of you that tell me you check your email for this update, know that your reviews make me just as excited!! 
> 
> Also, I've mentioned this in the summary and as well as the first chapter notes, but this fic is inspired by the movie Instant Family. I've gotten a few comments here or there asking if it was and I want to let you all know that is inspired by it. The beginning was heavily influenced, as are some other parts, but I changed it to make it my own. I don't want you to think I'm stealing the movie without giving credit!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of Skip, past child abuse, past child neglect, and more mentions of Skip. It's not explicit or graphic, but there are more detailed mentions of him in memories of Harley's.

Steve and Tony get the boys home a few hours later, after Peter woke up and had a little chat with Harley. Peter wasn't even awake for more than a minute before Harley was apologizing profusely. Of course, Peter didn't blame him one bit. But he did accept the apology for "being mean" the past few days. 

After they signed him out, Steve pushed Peter's wheelchair to the car. The doctors had given him a pair of crutches to use, but Steve and Tony didn't think it was a good idea to try and teach him to hold himself up when he was still tired. 

When they stepped inside, Peter was surprised with balloons, a banner, and his grandmas. His eyes widened and he grinned widely. "Nonna! Mhamo!" 

Even Steve was surprised. "Ma...what are you guys doing here?" 

"You called us and told us that our bambino was in the hospital and you don't expect us to come visit him right away?" Maria raised an eyebrow. "You're lucky we didn't go to the hospital." 

"We brought presents!" Sarah said. "Lots of fun things for a kid to do while stuck in a cast. How long til it comes off anyway?" 

"Well, the stitches from the nail will dissolve in about three weeks. The cast will be on for at least six," Tony said with a small sigh. Steve knew that he was blaming himself for the fall just as much as him. 

Peter pouted up at them. "I don't wanna be stuck in this chair that long! What about the tree house Daddy and I are building?" 

Steve froze.  _ Daddy.  _ Steve looked over at Tony, who was giving him a shit-eating grin. Damn. So, he won. "Daddy will do some of the basic building and then when you're better, you can help him do the details. Until then how about you help me get my art classes ready. I want some ideas you think would be fun." 

Harley bristled besides them. Steve knew that he had a lot going on, and he had let Steve stay with him, but he wasn't going to start calling either one of them Dad any time soon. 

"You know, bambino," Maria said. "When your Daddy was your age, he thought he was clever enough to develop a pair of wings from tin foil and sticks." 

Peter turned to Tony with wide eyes. "What?"

Tony chuckled and Steve smirked. He remembered this day, all too well. It was one of Tony's  _ experiments.  _ He could laugh about it now that they were older. "Yeah, lovebug. It wasn't fun." 

"He jumped from our tool shed in the backyard and shattered his femur. He was in a cast from his foot to his thigh all summer." 

"Good thing little Steve was always on bedrest. We kept each other company those few weeks, and were inseparable ever since." Tony turned to Steve and Steve knew he was looking for a kiss.

Steve leaned forward happily to press their lips together, causing Peter to giggle and Harley to gag both at once. "I have that big brain of yours to thank for us. Maybe that's why I love it so much." 

"Can you  _ not  _ talk about each other's big brains while we're all here?" Harley muttered, walking past them. "It's weird." 

"I think it's dinner time, anyway! Why don't we all head to the kitchen before it gets cold?" Sarah suggested, seeming to sense Harley's tense reaction to the family since Peter had said the word  _ Daddy _ . "We brought some dinner over. Nothing special, just McDonald's--." 

Peter gasped loudly. "McDonald's?! You have chicken nuggets?!" 

Sarah's eyes widened and her upper lip quirked. "You like McNuggets, Petey?" 

He nodded his head. "Push me to the kitchen, Steve! Fast!" 

Steve did so, trying to not feel too bummed that Tony was  _ Dad,  _ but Steve was still  _ Steve.  _

"You forget kids  _ love  _ that golden arch of goodness," Tony said with a chuckle. 

"Kids? Tony, you love McDonald's just as much as Ronald McDonald himself." Steve pushed Peter to the dining room table. 

"When was the last time you had a McFlurry? It's like crack." Tony started to peek into the bag and sneak out a fry, but Maria swatted his hand away. 

"Can't you wait until everyone is seated, Anthony?" She asked with no heat in her words. 

"Nope," he said, popping the fry into his mouth. He turned around to wave over Harley, who was standing by the wall. "Come on, kid. Come get your food before it's all gone." 

Steve lifted Peter up into his booster seat and made sure he had food before he sat down at his own seat. Peter seemed okay as they ate, and he didn't show any signs of pain or discomfort. Then again, he had taken ibuprofen before leaving the hospital only an hour or so ago. 

Still, Steve wanted to keep an eye on him. He knew Tony and Harley blamed themselves for Peter’s accident, but Steve knew he was the one that caused it.

"Hey, baby boy." 

Steve looked up at his mom, who was putting a hand over his. "Yeah, ma?" 

"Stop thinking so much. Just eat." Sarah gave him a small smile and it was enough to settle the turmoil in his mind. A smile from his mother always did the trick. 

So he ate his dinner, and after dinner, they all settled on the couch to watch a movie. Harley excused himself only a few minutes into the movie, claiming he was tired. Still, he was polite and thanked both of his grandmas for coming over and said goodnight. 

Peter stayed on the couch through the movie and even had Maria and Sarah sign their names on the cast. Steve, Tony, and Harley had signed it earlier. Peter couldn't wait to collect more signatures during family dinner night. 

As the night continued, Steve could tell that Peter was struggling to stay up with Sarah and Maria. He wanted to stay with them so badly, Steve noticed by the way he fought his long blinks so hard. But soon, his eyes fluttered shut and they didn't reopen. His head lulled to the side, and he leaned against Sarah's side. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. 

"He's such a sweet boy," Sarah whispered softly as she continued to play with his hair.

"He really is. Just about nearly broke my heart today with his crying." Tony sighed, looking over at their sleeping child. "I can't believe I left him up there with the tools." 

"Sweetheart, it wasn't your fault," Steve said firmly. 

"Your husband is right, bambino. You know how many times you hurt yourself growing up because I turned away for  _ one second?  _ It's inevitable, love." She tried giving him a reassuring smile, but it didn't do much of anything to calm his nerves. 

"He's going to be okay. Just look at him," Sarah added, smiling down at the boy that was curled up between his two grandmothers, sleeping peacefully. 

"I seemed to get a little bit closer to Harley today too," Steve said in practically inaudible voice. He wasn't sure if Harley was asleep or could hear them. "I think he was just dissociating in the hospital, but he let me comfort him without pushing me away. It's progress." 

Tony nodded his head. "And he did tell their social worker it was his fault because he was afraid of getting taken away from us." 

Steve hated lying, especially to their social worker, but he was okay with it this once because it was a good lie. It kept their boys in their home. "Cooper told me that he doesn't actually hate us. Just wishes he could." 

Maria shook her head sadly. "With the amount of pain that boy has been put through because of guardians, it doesn't surprise me. He's afraid of getting close, for whatever reason." 

"I think he's convinced himself his mother is still interested in getting custody again one day," Steve said with a small frown. He didn't know her, but from what he did know about her, she would have had to change drastically for Steve to  _ ever  _ allow his children near her. 

Tony scoffed.  _ "That's  _ never happening." 

"Don't tell him that just yet...he has to learn on his own that you two are here to stay and you're here to be his parents for good." Sarah shook her head. "He's a teenage boy, and trust me when I say, they have a lot of  _ feelings."  _

Steve frowned over at her, knowing she was referring to him and Tony. 

"Now, don't give her that pout, Steven," Maria admonished lightly. "You know it's true." 

"You need to find something he can do to get his feelings out. Healthily. You painted, Steve. Tony, you built things. He needs something to get all of those feelings out." 

Sarah was 100% right, like always. But it didn't mean that Tony and Steve hadn't tried anything before. "He doesn't seem to be interested in anything. He's mentioned building things, I think...but never took Tony up on his offer to work with him in the shop." 

"He needs a project that's all his," Maria suggested. "Something he can control. He can't control anything else in his life right now. Or probably ever."

Steve glanced over at Tony and they both exchanged a completely silent conversation. Their mothers were right (like always). And by the way Tony grinned and patted Steve on the leg, he guessed he had an idea. 

"Of course, you've got a plan already,  _ Dad."  _

Tony's face broke out into a grin as if he'd forgotten that Peter had called him 'Daddy'. How the hell did someone forget something like  _ that?  _ "I guess I won the bet, huh?" 

"How'd you do it? I don't get it." Steve sighed. "I'm with him every day. We've been getting along!" 

Tony grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "It's nothing against you, my love. Peter was scared and I was there. We had a moment earlier in the tree house about Skip and I really think I had a breakthrough." 

Steve's eyes widened. He was a bit jealous that Tony was 'Daddy', but he would never be jealous of Tony getting Peter to talk about what was bothering him. "You did?" 

Tony nodded. "He told me he felt broken and damaged." 

Steve's heart shattered for the millionth time in the last few hours. "He said that?" He looked down at the sleeping boy, unable to believe Peter would say something like that. 

"Skip used to tell him that so he wouldn't tell anyway else about what they were doing," Tony explained looking sick-- not that Steve blamed him. "He was protecting Harley so Skip wouldn't send them back to the first home." 

"Is Skip one of their old foster parents?" Maria asked quietly. "Did he beat Peter?" 

Steve glanced over to the hallway where Harley's bedroom was shut. He knew that Harley didn't like his brother's information broadcasted, but this was their family. Maria and Sarah would never tell a soul or treat them differently. "He molested Peter." 

The blood drained from both of their faces immediately. Sarah pulled Peter a little closer in her arms. 

"He's in jail now. He won't come near him again," Steve said, mostly reassuring himself from approaching a panic attack. 

"The poor baby." Sarah stared down at Peter with sad eyes. 

"That's why Harley was so upset when Howard…" Maria's eyes widened in realization. 

"Yeah," Tony said. "Harley hasn't really talked about it. I don't know...I don't know how much he knows about Skip and Peter, but I know he's keeping a lot of it in." 

"That's another reason he needs to find an outlet for all of these emotions," Sarah said, her voice was full of melancholy. 

"I've got that covered. Don't worry," Tony said. "We're going to take care of both of them." 

* * *

Harley stared out the window as Tony drove, humming along to some rock song on the radio. Usually, Steve drove him to school with Peter in the back, but they were trying to refrain from moving him too much. So Tony was driving him to school in his truck a little early. 

He wanted to stay home and help Steve take care of Peter, but Tony insisted on going with him. He said he didn't need to worry about Peter. 

But that was the thing about being Peter's older brother: he  _ always  _ worried about him. No matter what, Harley would always worry. 

He was so worried about him now that he didn't realize they weren't driving to his school until they were pulling into an autoshop. Harley sat up and glanced around. This must be where Tony worked. "Uh, Tony, I think you forgot to drop me off."

Tony raised an eyebrow as he shut the car off. "No, I didn't. C'mon, get out." He patted Harley's shoulder before getting out of the car. "I've got something to show you." 

Harley stepped out of the car and looked around. It looked like a place Harley could hide away in for hours and go crazy with building. He recognized one of Tony and Steve's friends-- Rhodey-- standing over by a Sedan that was lifted in the air. 

"Morning, Rhodey!" Tony said, taking a sip of coffee that Steve had made him before they left. 

Rhodey turned around with a smile. "Good morning, Tony…" He looked over at Harley and looked surprised but not unhappy. "You too, Harley! I didn't know you were joining us today." 

"Neither did I," Harley grumbled, even though he would much rather be here than at school. 

"Last minute decision. We're gonna head out to the yard." 

"Alright...and hey, how's Peter feeling?" Rhodey's face softened.

"He's doing okay," Tony answered. "He'd love a visit from his Uncle Rhodey though." 

Chucking, Rhodey said, "I'll have to stop by soon with a get well present." 

"Holding you to that!" Tony said before walking towards the back of the shop. He grabbed two crowbars as he walked out.

Harley followed after him and couldn't believe how many beat up cars they had in the back. Tony stopped by a Mustang, though Harley was unsure about the year. 

It was rusty and only one of the tires wasn't flat, but Harley could tell that with a little TLC, it would be a  _ nice  _ car. He let out a whistle. "Whose is this?" 

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Ours. We buy old cars and either scrap them or fix and sell them." He handed Harley one of the crowbars. "Here. Hit it." 

Harley took it but froze. There didn't look like anything spectacularly wrong with the car. Tony could easily fix and sell it for good money. "But, Tony--." 

"You know what I do when I'm feeling upset and I feel like no one, not even Steve, understands?" Tony asked, not waiting for an answer before lifting the crowbar over his head and bringing it down on the hood. He smirked up at Harley. "I find a car and I break it." 

The idea definitely made Harley itch to  _ break.  _ "Seriously?" 

"Yup." 

Harley grinned and lifted his crowbar, but before he could hit the car, Tony stopped him. "Oh, no no. You can't just  _ waste  _ a hit. You need to release all this anger inside." 

Harley's grip tightened on the crowbar. He clenched his jaw and stared at the window, where he was going to shatter first. 

Tony came up behind him and spoke in a low voice. "You have to think of what makes you so angry. What hurts you the most. And you imagine it's that car and you  _ destroy  _ it." 

Harley closed his eyes and summoned all of the anger he'd felt through his life. 

_ The fire...Peter crying in Harley's arms as he ran out of the apartment. Saying goodbye to their mom in the hospital before they were separated. Nobody listening to Harley when he begged them to let them stay with their mother.  _

Harley swung the crowbar into the window and glass shattered around them. Tony clapped his hands. "That's it. Keep going." 

_ Their third home. Hearing Peter's stomach growl on the nights he barely ate. Always seeing him hiding under his bed because he was terrified. Being reminded that they were nothing but burdens. _

Harley let out a loud roar as he drove the crowbar into the car twice. 

_ Their first home and the first time his foster mother beat him because he spoke to one of her friends without permission. Peter not talking around anyone except Harley because he was the only one that he knew wouldn't hurt him. Their foster mother beating Harley at least once a day. Peter being so well-behaved that he didn't speak or move when the woman was around. The woman slapping Peter when he accidentally spilt a cup of milk on the floor.  _

Harley's voice broke into a cry when he smashed the car again and again and again and again. But he wasn't done. He was just getting started. 

_ Skip.  _

Harley swung his crowbar into another window. Oh, how he wished it was Skip's head. 

_ Skip being so nice and fake. Insisting that Harley didn't need to worry because he would take care of Peter.  _

He hit the roof of the car hard enough to make it dent down by the window. 

_ Skip always hugging Peter, making any excuse to have his hand on him. Dressing him. Changing him. Bathing him.  _

Harley felt tears pouring down his cheeks as he started in on the trunk. He imagined each hit was a hit to Skip. 

_ Hearing Peter cry almost every night in the beginning. Skip telling him not to bother them because he could handle the nightmares.  _

Why didn't Harley go in? Why didn't he question the cries? They were muffled through the walls, and eventually, they stopped. But Harley didn't even question it. He trusted Skip to take care of Peter. He trusted him! 

Harley's chest was heaving as he sobbed and destroyed the car. Tony was cheering him on and giving him words of encouragement through it. But Harkey barely heard him: right now it was just him and his memories. 

_ Hearing him sobbing one night-- begging for something to stop because it hurt and he didn't like it. Jumping out of bed, thinking he was having a nightmare and Skip didn't wake up for it.  _

Hit! Hit! Hit! Hit! 

_ Opening Peter's bedroom door and seeing a shadow over him in the dark room. Flipping on the switch and seeing Skip on top of his brother. Freezing and just watching before his brain could catch up with his eyes. Realizing why one hand was pinning Peter's wrists to the mattress and the other was touching...him.  _

Harley couldn't even see what was in front of him through the tears in his eyes. That didn't stop him from swinging.

_ Peter sobbing with his pajama pants pulled down to his ankles. Skip on top of him wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. Harley running forward and tackling Skip off of him once he realized. Pounding his face with his fists with as much strength as a 14-year-old kid could. Kneeing him in the groin again and again until he was shoving Harley off of him and gagging until he almost threw up.  _

That wasn't enough! Harley should have  _ killed  _ him. Even death was too forgiving for the man. Harley wanted to hurt him and make  _ him  _ beg. 

Jail wasn't enough! It wasn't even a life sentence! The judge gave him a few years in jail for  _ 'forcible touching'  _ under the New York Pen. Law §130.52. Harley had it memorized. Skip's crime was only a class A misdemeanor. 

"Fuck you!" Harley sobbed. "Fuck you! You fucking monster! I hate you! I hate you!" With another swing, he fell to the ground-- or he would have, if Tony hadn't caught him. 

"Come on," he murmured. "Let's get you over here and away from the glass." 

Harley clung to Tony's flannel and didn't even care that he was openly sobbing. He had tried and tried to keep all memories of Skip and that night locked up tight. 

Tony lowered them to the ground carefully and rubbed his arm. "You're alright. Let it out. It's just us out here." 

Harley hated that he was clinging to Tony, relying on him for comfort. He hadn't relied on an adult in  _ years.  _ "I-I'm sorry." 

"Nope. No apologies," Tony said immediately. "You're allowed to cry and scream. Get it out." 

"But--." 

"Let's put this in a way we mechanics understand, yeah?" Tony said, not unkindly. Harley was shocked Tony knew he liked to build; he had only mentioned it once or twice. "When the radiator in your car clogs, do you let all that yucky stuff build up or do you clean it out?" 

Harley wiped his face and sniffled loudly. Gross. "Uh-- clean it out." 

"Exactly! You keep all the bad stuff in, and it only makes things worse. Before you know it, it gets to a point where the radiator is beyond repair because of it all." Tony ran his hand through Harley's hair and Harley let out sigh. "Our bodies are the same way. You threw up all that alcohol the other night because you needed to get rid of it. Your body knew that it couldn't keep it all in. Same thing with your brain. Your brain doesn't want all of that bad stuff. It wants to get rid of it and lighten the load." 

"I don't-- I don't like talking about it," Harley whispered after a shaky breath. 

"I know, squirt. But it'll help you feel so much better." 

Harley wasn't sure that was true, but he knew that he wasn't going to find out now. He didn't want to talk to anyone about what haunted his dreams because then it was like he was reliving it all over again. 

"You don't have to now," Tony continued as if he could read Harley's mind. "But when you're ready, Steve and I are here. If you don't want to talk to us, we can get you a therapist to talk to. Sam works with therapy groups for veterans, but I think he knows some good therapists for children." 

"Teenager," Harley grumbled. 

Tony chuckled, holding Harley a little closer. "Whatever you say, kiddo." Harley sat up and thankfully, Tony didn't refuse to let him go. "Feeling any better?"

Harley shrugged his shoulders at first but then nodded. "Yeah. Guess so." 

"I'm glad. Even if it's just a little bit." He glanced down at him. "Steve and I are on your side, you know. You don't have to fight us every step of the way."

_ But I do.  _

"You've been especially hard on Steve. He's trying his best." 

Tony's words brought guilt gnawing at his insides. "I know...I'm sorry." 

"It's not me you owe an apology to. So, how about we finish up here, I'll take you to lunch, and then we head home?" 

"What about school?" Harley frowned. 

"Everyone needs a mental health day every once in a while. We called you out already. No need to skip and sneak around behind our backs." 

Harley's face burned at the mention of him skipping school. "Thank you…" He looked back up at the mess he'd made in his crazy outburst. "What are you gonna do with that car now?" 

"We're gonna fix it up," Tony said with a smile. 

Harley's eyes widened as he inspected the damage done. "What? There's no way we can fix that. It's broken beyond repair." 

Tony put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.  _ "Nothing  _ is broken beyond repair. Everything can be fixed. We're going to fix this together." 

"But-- but why?" Harley furrowed his brow. 

"Well, you'll need a car when you get your license, yeah? You're almost 16. We'll have to start practicing." 

Harley felt a lump grow in his throat. Tony wanted to give him a car and he wanted to teach him how to drive. It was such a  _ Dad  _ thing to do...Harley didn't ever think he'd have a dad. "Are you serious?" 

"Yup," Tony replied with a smile. "So, you wanna start today? 

Harley nodded his head, excitement growing. "Yeah! I'd love to." 

Tony stood up and held his hand out for Harley to take. "Great. Let's get started then." 

Harley and Tony worked on the car for a few hours before their stomachs started rumbling loudly. They went out to a diner for lunch and found themselves back at the autoshop working. Tony said they couldn't do this everyday because he had actual work to do and Harley had school, but they could come twice a week to work on it. 

Maybe Harley could even stop by after school and work on it while Tony was working, but Harley liked the idea of doing it  _ with  _ Tony. 

They headed home soon after their stomachs protested the hunger and for the first time in a long while, Harley had a smile on his face the entire way home. 

When they pulled up in front of the house, Steve and Peter were sitting on the driveway drawing with chalk. Peter started waving excitedly to the car. "Harley! Daddy!" 

Harley smiled at him and knew that if he wasn't wearing that cast right now, he'd be running over to greet them. "Hey, Gizmo. I love your art." 

"Thank you!" Peter smiled proudly. "Steve and I are drawing mermaids!" 

"I see," Harley said, coming closer. He stopped at them and hesitated. Clearing his throat, he said, "Uh, Steve...I wanted to, uh, say something." 

Steve froze before dropping the chalk on the grass and standing up. He dusted the chalk off of his hands on his pants. “Of course! I’m listening.” 

“I wanted to apologize about how I’ve been acting and how I’ve been treating you. I should have never ruined your art show.” Harley wanted to look away, but he kept eye contact with Steve. He looked down at Peter and apologized again. “I should have never tried getting you in trouble for it either, Gizmo. I was an asshole.” 

“It’s okay, Harley!” Peter said brightly. “I forgive you.” 

“You shouldn’t have to.” He looked back to Steve. “I’m sorry for always being so rude and for sneaking out and for yelling at you and calling you a psychopath.” 

Steve’s cheeks flushed pink as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean I did lose control of my temper back there…” 

“Rightfully so,” Tony added from where he was standing by the car. 

“I’m just sorry...for being a difficult kid. I know you’re only trying to help.” Harley shrugged his shoulders. “So I’m sorry.” 

“Thank you for your apology, Harley. I appreciate it.” Steve gave him a small smile. 

“Nice,” Harley said, feeling a little awkward. “Uh, we were working a lot on a car, so I’m gonna take a shower before dinner.” 

Steve nodded his head quickly and side stepped out of Harley’s way. “Of course! Uh, I haven’t started dinner yet, but is there anything in particular you’d like?”

Harley shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno. Burgers sound pretty good.” 

“I’ll get started on that then!” Steve grinned, looking too pleased just from Harley’s answer. He was probably desperate for a conversation with Harley where they were snapping at each other. Harley felt guilty about that, but he knew he had good reason to scare them away. 

Even now, he could keep them at arm’s length without making their lives a lying hell all of the time. That had been his plan in the beginning before he realized how easy it was to fall for these two as his dads. He just had to be careful and keep his attachments at bay. 

That was harder than it sounded though, Harley knew that. Especially when they were so caring to not only him but to Peter too. As he walked inside the house, he heard Peter giggling as he told Tony about his chalk artwork. No one besides Harley could ever get Peter to sound so  _ happy. _ Not even their mother. 

Maybe when they saw her again...that would change. 

\--

“You’ve really been getting through to him these last few weeks,” Steve said to Tony as they were getting ready for bed. They had just put Peter into bed for the night without even one argument. He had been doing so well with sleeping and nightmares were few and far between. He never spoke to Steve and Tony what they were about more than: “Skip was hurting me.” But he at least allowed them to comfort him. 

“Who? Harley?” Tony asked, pulling back the blankets to get into bed.

“Yeah.” Steve crawled into bed next to him. “He’s been...not such a beast lately. He even smiled and had a conversation with Sam and Bucky tonight-- and he was laughing.” 

“The car really helped,” Tony admitted. “He doesn’t tell me anything. He’s definitely got a lot to work through in that head of his. I’ll never forget the rage and the anguish he was feeling that day he destroyed the car.” 

“He’s been through a lot. I just wish we knew  _ what.”  _ Steve sighed. “We haven’t had any bad fights lately, but it’s not like he thinks of me as his dad yet.” 

“I don’t think he thinks of me as his dad yet either, babe. I’m just the cool guardian.” Tony curled up next to him in their bed, and Steve just held him close. It was rare that they ever just got the chance to relax and enjoy each other lately. They hadn’t made love in over two weeks when they’d been interrupted by Peter knocking on their bedroom door to play a game of Trouble. They were still hesitant to leave him with Sarah or Maria, even just for a few hours. Peter had never been without at least one of them since he’d started living here. Sam said they had to be careful he didn’t grow too dependent on them, but Steve didn’t think they had to worry about that just yet. 

“If you’re the cool guardian, then what does that make me?” Steve pouted. 

“I don’t think you wanna hear my answer, love,” Tony replied with a laugh. 

Groaning, Steve said, “Gee, thanks. You know...at least you’re Daddy to Peter.” Steve loved hearing his son call Tony Daddy, but when he turned around and still called him Steve, it was more than disheartening. “I’m Steve. We’ve been bonding and we hang out all the time. I played 12 consecutive games of Candy Land last week. Doesn’t that count for something?” 

“He’ll call you dad soon,” Tony said, rubbing his arm gently. “Although, you’ll need a different name so it isn’t so confusing.” 

“I think I’d take Mommy over Steve by now.” Steve huffed, trying not to sound too annoyed. It wasn’t Tony’s fault. 

“He only called me Daddy when he was scared and panicked,” Tony pointed out. “Even earlier in the day when we had a real nice moment together, I was still Tony.” 

Steve knew the circumstances, but that just made him even more frustrated. He didn’t want another incident like that day in the backyard just to be called Dad. He never wanted to see Peter so upset again like that in his life. “I know…” 

“You know,” Tony whispered, his voice suddenly sultry. “I think I know what’ll make you feel better.” He rolled on top of Steve, rolling his hips against Tony’s thigh. 

Steve’s breath hitched and his eyes flickered over to their doorway. “What if Peter wakes up with a nightmare?” 

Tony nodded his head to their dresser where there was a baby monitor, giving them the sound from Peter’s room where the other monitor was. “Then we’ll hear him, we’ll pull our shorts back on, and go calm him down. But he’s been real good lately.” 

Steve hummed as Tony’s hand started to trail down his chest, stopping at his waistband. 

“You know who else has been real good lately too that deserves a little treat?” 

“Hmm,” was all Steve could mumble.

“You.” Tony pressed his lips to Steve’s and he moaned happily as Tony began to pull down his sweatpants.

His pants were around his knees and his underwear was following suit when one of their cell phones began to ring. Steve grunted when Tony looked over towards it. “No, let it ring.” 

“It’s late,” Tony said, pecking Steve’s lips. “Let me just check that it’s not an emergency.” 

Steve watched as Tony pulled away from him to grab the cell phone off of the bedside table. He grew a little worried when Tony frowned. “It’s Scott.” 

Steve sat up, his heart immediately pounding in his chest. “Do you think he found out about us lying in the hospital?” 

Tony shook his head. “It’s alright, love. I’ll see.” He answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Hey, Scott. You’re on speaker with Steve.” 

“Hey, guys. Sorry for calling so late. Are the boys sleeping?” He sounded...almost worried. At least he wasn’t angry at them for lying about the accident. 

Steve began to pull his pants back on. They weren’t making love tonight either. “Yeah, Scott. We’re in bed.” 

“I wanted to call you first to let you know that the boys’ mother is out of jail and has been doing well. We’ve been giving it a few weeks to see how she’s been doing, and she hasn’t relapsed.” 

At the mention of their mother, Steve felt his entire world shutter to a stop. She wasn’t supposed to be an issue; they didn’t need to worry about her. That’s what NIck and Phil had said to them. “Their mother? But-- But she--...” 

“I know,” Scott said. “But Harley wanted to be made aware of when it was possible to see his mother again.” 

“For visitations?” Tony asked, sounding much calmer than Steve felt. 

“Yes. They will be monitored with both myself and her own case worker, so they will be safe at all times,” Scott reassured them as if that made this situation any better. 

“We have to allow that?” Steve asked which earned a sharp look from Tony. 

Before Scott could even answer, Tony replied, “We’re not going to forbid him from seeing his birth mother, Steve. We’ve only just started to get through to him and if we tell him he can’t see his mother, he’ll actually have a reason to hate us.” 

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Tony on this one,” Scott said. “You don’t want to push him away.” 

“Alright, alright…” Steve muttered, furrowing his brow. “So now what?” 

“I’m going to give Harley a call tomorrow; I wanted to warn you both first. Then, if he still wants to see his mother, we will set up visits.” Scott sighed. “I’m no more happy about her coming back, even just for visits than you guys, but I’m afraid it’s not fair to the children to deny them their birth mother. She has made mistakes, but of course, she deserves a chance for them to be in her life.” 

“I know,” Steve said bitterly. Tony reached out to take his hand. 

“Don’t get too upset,” Scott said. “This doesn’t at all mean that she wants her kids back. This could be a one and done visit, just for closure. I actually think that the closure will do Harley some good. He’s been holding onto the idea of her for far too long. An image he made when he was a kid. Maybe, he’ll see her again and realize he’s with the family he belongs with already.” 

“Yeah, maybe,” Steve said. 

Or maybe, he’d realize he had a chance to go back to her and do everything he could to leave Steve and Tony. 

“Thanks for letting us know, Scott,” Tony said. 

“No problem. I’ll talk to you more later about it, I’m sure. Try not to worry about it too much. Have a goodnight, guys.” Then Scott was hanging up, leaving them in silence. 

Tony put the phone down and crawled back over to hold Steve. He laid back down with Steve in his arms. For a few moments they were quiet, and all they heard were Peter’s soft snores coming from the baby monitor. 

“What if they choose her, Tony?” Steve asked in a low voice. 

“They won’t.” 

“You can’t promise that and you know that.” Steve held onto Tony tighter as he imagined a world without their boys anymore. “Tony...I’m scared.” 

“I know, sweetheart. So am I. But...whatever happens, as long as it’s the best thing for the kids, it’ll be okay. That’s all that matters.” 

For once, Steve really didn’t believe that. 

**Author's Note:**

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> 
> This story updates every Monday and Thursday.
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> Until next time,


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